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FIRST  BATTALION 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  406t^ 
TELEGRAPH  BATTALION 
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THE     BATTALION     STANDARDS 
AND     GUIDONS 


THE 

FIRST  BATTALION 

THE    STORY   OF 

THE  406'.!'   TELEGRAPH   BATTALION 

SIGNAL   CORPS.  U.   S.    ARMY 

'By 

PETER  LAMBERT  SCHAUBLE 


as,  -     •  " 


PHILADELPHIA 

1921 


J3S70 
335 


THANKS  is  hereby  extended  to  the  following  members 
of  the  Battalion  for  their  assistance  in  the  preparation 
of  this  book: 

Major  Thomas  H.  Griest  who  gathered  much  of  the  data, 
including  personal  accounts,  pictures  and  maps  and  pre- 
pared a  comprehensive  chronology  upon  which  the  text  of 
this  story  is  based. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  James  W.  Hubbell  who  prepared  a 
series  of  memoranda  on  the  Battalion. 

Lieutenant  William  W.  Brittain  who  assisted  with  certain 
engineering  details. 

Master  Signal  Electrician  Henry  B.  Cowan  who  laid  out 
the  maps. 

First  Sergeants  Martin  H.  Buehler,  2nd,  and  David  M. 
Hackett,  2ND,  who  checked  the  Company  "D"  and  Com- 
pany "E"  records  respectively. 

P.  L.  S. 


COPYRIGHT    I92I 
THE    BELL   TELEPHONE   COMPANY   OF   PENNSYLVANIA 


•    •• 


Redfield-Kendrick-Odell  Company,  Inc. 
New  York 


FOREWORD 

THE  406th  Telegraph  Battalion,  Signal  Corps,  U.S.  Army,  which 
went  to  France  as  the  First  Telegraph  Battalion,  U.S.  Signal 
Reserve  Corps,  saw  continuous  service  throughout  the  entire 
American  participation  in  the  World  War.  It  was  organized  during 
the  very  month  when  war  was  declared.  Four  months  later  it  was  in 
France — going  over  on  one  of  the  earliest  convoys.  To  realize  what 
this  means  it  must  be  understood  that  the  Battalion  was  recruited 
from  telephone  employees — not  military  men.  To  land  a  body  of 
men  on  foreign  soil  four  months  after  they  received  their  first  military 
training  is  an  accomplishment  of  which  every  one  associated  with  the 
organization  may  well  be  proud. 

From  that  time  until  the  Armistice  there  was  no  let  up  in  its  activites. 
The  silver  bands  on  the  Battalion  Standard  tell  the  story.  They  were 
awarded  by  the  War  Department  and  are  engraved  with  the  following 
inscriptions: 


1ST  Telegraph  Battalion 
U.  S.  Signal  Reserve  Corps 


TouL  Sector,  France 
28,  February  to  21,  March,  1918 


Chateau-Thierry  Sector,  France 
23,  June  to  14,  July,  1918 


Champagne-Marne  Defensive,  France 
July  15  to  July  18,  1918 


ivil3S821 


FOREWORD 


Aisne-Marne  Offensive,  France 
July  1 8  to  August  6,  1918 


TouL  Sector,  France 
20,  August  to  II,  September,  1918 


St.  MmiEL  Offensive,  France 
September  12  to  September  16,  191J 


Verdun  Sector,  France 
20,  to  25  September,  1918 


Meuse,  Argonne  Offensive,  France 
September  26  to  November  11,  1918 


The  406th  has  passed  into  history.  It  made  a  wonderful  record. 
It  is  only  proper  and  fitting  that  its  accomplishments  should  be  set  down 
in  permanent  form.  If  these  pages  will,  in  the  future,  assist  in  recalling 
memories  of  its  participation  in  the  greatest  war  the  world  has  ever  seen, 
they  will  have  fulfilled  their  purpose. 


CONTENTS 


Foreword 


Chapter  I — From  "Civies"  to  Khaki ii 

Plans  for  Signal  Reserve  Corps.  War  Department  turns  to  Bell  System. 
The  Bell  Telephone  Company  of  Pennsylvania  first  to  start  the  work. 
S(;lection  of  Officers.  The  organization  of  the  two  Companies.  Taking  the 
Oath.  Designation  as  First  Telegraph  Battalion,  Signal  Reserve  Corps. 
A  Battalion  of  "First's." 

Chapter  II — Soldiers  in  the  Making i8 

Drill  begins.  Difficidties  in  securing  uniforms  and  equipment.  Preparing 
requisition  for  the  War  Department.  Lieutenants  Repp  and  Glaspey  and 
Sergeant  Quinby  accompany  General  Pershing  to  Europe.  Outdoor  drill. 
Final  preparations  for  departure  for  camp. 

Chapter  III — They're  Off 24 

Farewells.  The  two  Companies  meet  in  Philadelphia.  Breakfast  at  Union 
League.  Mr.  Kinnard  presents  standards  and  addresses  the  Battalion. 
Leaving  Philadelphia. 

Chapter  IV — Monmouth  Park 29 

The  arrival  at  Monmouth  Park.  Briers  and  poison  ivy.  Inoculations  and 
vaccinations.  Intensive  training.  Construction  problems.  "Smoke  "and 
"Bruce."  Visits  from  Telephone  officials.  Final  physical  examinations. 
Theodore  N.  Vail  calls  to  say  goodbye.  Additions  to  the  Battalion.  Off 
for  "an  Atlantic  Port."     On  the  "Antilles." 

Chapter  V — Dodging  Submarines 45 

Down  the  river.  At  Gravesend  Bay.  Out  to  sea  under  cover  of  darkness. 
In  the  submarine  zone.     Safe  in  France. 

Chapter  VI— "So  This  Is  France" 50 

The  landing  at  St.  Nazaire.  At  base  camp  No.  i.  A  detail  leaves  for 
Chaimiont,  soon  to  be  General  Pershing's  Headquarters.  An  outing  at  La 
Baule.  Moving  to  Chaumont.  A  detail  remains  at  St.  Nazaire  to  assemble 
motor  trucks  and  drive  them  to  Chaumont. 

Chapter  VII — At  General  Headquarters 58 

Equipping  General  Headquarters  with  telephone  and  lighting  plants. 
Dedication  of  General  Headquarters.  Preliminaries  for  the  construction  of 
the  Chaumont-Neufchateau  line.  The  line  is  started  under  difficulties — 
lack  of  tools  and  equipment.  Supply  Officer  Meigs  rents  a  blacksmith  shop 
and  hires  a  harness  maker.  "Cheddite."  Company  "D"  moves  to  Liffol 
le  Grande  to  facilitate  work  on  the  Neuf chateau  line.  Part  of  Company 
"E"  moves  to  Rimacourt.    Completion  of  the  line  September  27th. 

Chapter  VIII — Hard  Work  and  Some  Diversion 70 

Repp  and  Glaspey  become  Captains  and  permanently  detached.  A  wager 
with  the  Second  Battalion.  Company  "E"  builds  south  from  Chaumont. 
Company  "D"  wiring  training  areas  and  made  responsible  for  Divisional 


CONTENTS 


Areas.  EquippingBourmontfortheSecond  Division.  Part  of  Company  "E" 
moves  to  Luzy  to  speed  the  line  south.  Battalion  officers  attend  reception 
in  General  Pershing's  chateau  in  honor  of  his  promotion  to  the  rank  of 
General.  A  captured  Zeppelin.  Battalion  Headquarters  and  Company  "E" 
move  to  Mamay.    Company  "D"  at  Neiif chateau.    Hallowe'en  party. 

Chapter  IX — Thanksgiving 82 

A  direct  line  from  Langres  to  Neufchateau.  Major  Hubbell  and  Captain 
Gauss  transferred  to  General  Headquarters.  Captain  Wattles  in  command 
of  the  Battalion.  The  Bourmont  detail  moves  to  Vaucouleurs  to  equip  the 
area  for  the  Forty-second  Division.  A  line  from  Vaucoxileurs  to  Chaumont. 
Additional  Chaumont-Neufchateau  circuits.  Thanksgiving.  Supply  Offi- 
cer Meigs  secures  some  tires.     "Hardtack"  is  enrolled  in  Company  "E." 

Chapter  X — Lost — A  Perfectly  Good  Name 90 

The  "First "  Battalion  becomes  the  "406th."  More  eqtiipment  for  General 
Headquarters.  Switchboard  operating.  Transportation  Department  and 
Roosevelt  Hospital  are  equipped.  An  artillery  training  school  at  Fort  de 
Pagny.  The  406th  made  responsible  for  Headquarters  of  Divisions  and 
all  lines  north  of  Langres.  The  Chaumont  line  in  trouble.  Work  on  the 
Neufchateau-Langres  Line. 

Chapter  XI — The  First  Christmas 96 

Preparations  for  Christmas  celebration — started  back  home.  Company  "E" 
celebrates  at  Mamay.     Company  "D"  at  Neufchateau. 

Chapter  XII — Nearing  the  Battle  Line loi 

Major  Kelly  becomes  Signal  Officer  at  Neufchateau.  Company  "D"  con- 
nects the  First  Division  at  Menil  la  Tour  with  the  American  lines.  The 
.  Meuse  overflows  its  banks.  Cooties.  A  break  at  St.  Blin.  Mobilizing 
the  406th  for  forward  work.  Death  of  Hollowell.  Major  Hubbell  returns 
to  command  the  Battalion. 

Chapter  XIII — With  the  First  Army  Corps iii 

Creation  of  the  First  Army  Corps.  406th  becomesFirstCorpsTelegraphBat- 
talion.  Company  "E"  builds  a  line  to  Void.  Company  "D"  reports  to  the 
First  Division.  The  A.  E.  F.  celebrates  Washington's  Birthday.  Company 
"D"  goes  to  Boucq.     Building  lines  to  the  Front.    "Repp"  construction. 

Chapter  XIV — One  Thing  After  Another 120 

"Corporal  Leon."  Company  "E"  builds  a  new  line  from  Neufchateau  to 
Vaucouleurs,  thence  to  Void.  Equipping  the  Air  Service  Headquarters  at 
Toul.  Hannam  tells  of  operating  experiences.  An  operators'  school.  A 
line  from  Neufchateau  to  Colombey.     Company  "D"  at  Harmonville. 

Chapter  XV — Adventures  in  No  Man's  Land 127 

The  Radio  Intelligence  Service.  Listening  Posts.  Maintaining  the  wires 
in  No  Man's  Land.  Some  interesting  experiences.  Peterson's  story. 
Custer  tells  of  a  trip  after  batteries.  Leasure  takes  a  chance.  Gallo  tells 
of  a  German  raid. 

Chapter  XVI— "Where  Do  We  Go  From  Here?" 138 

Versatility  and  tact.  Circuits  leased  from  the  French.  An  Air  Corps  at 
Ourches.    A  test  station  at  Vaucouleurs.    Maintaining  the  leased  circuits. 


CONTENTS 


Pole  yards.  Battalion  review  at  Neufchateau.  The  end  of  "Smoke." 
"  D  "  goes  to  Neufchateau.  Preparations  for  a  quick  move.  The  practice 
move.  "E"  cares  for  British  Bombing  Squadrons.  Memorial  Day. 
The  "flu."  Assistance  from  the  319th  and  322nd  Field  Battalions. 
Leaving  Neufchateau. 

Chapter  XVII — On  the  Marne 152 

La  Ferte-sous-Jouarre.  The  new  Headquarters.  Company  "E"  installs 
telephone  equipment.  Company  "  D  "  arrives  a  week  later,  and  takes  care 
of  rear  areas.  Dark  days.  Preparations  for  retreat.  First  Corps  takes 
over  the  Marne  sector.  Battalion  takes  over  exchanges.  Dickson  at 
Montreuil.  Transporting  troops  and  ammimition.  Air  activities. 
Captain  Wattles  leaves.    Preparations  for  the  offensive  completed. 

Chapter  XVIII — The  First  American  Offensive 164 

The  attack  begins.  Lieutenant  Price  with  the  26th  Division.  Activities 
around  Montreuil.  Picardie  Farm.  Epaux  Bezu  and  Buire.  Operating 
difficulties.  A  new  line  to  Picardie  Farm.  Trugny.  Corps  Headquarters 
at  Epieds.  Chateau  Moucheton.  A  line  to  Chateau  Thierry.  Mess 
difficulties. 

Chapter  XIX — On  to  the  Vesle 178 

The  advance  continues.  A  line  to  Fresnes.  Company  "  D  "  moves  up  the 
line.  Connecting  Fere-en-Tardenois.  A  bad  night.  Midnight  patrols. 
At  Villeneuve-sur-Fere.  Relieved  by  the  Third  Army  Corps.  A  rest  at 
La  Ferte.     Meigs  and  some  spies. 

Chapter  XX— St.  Mihiel 187 

Off  for  new  fields  under  sealed  orders.  Through  Chaimiont  to  Neuf- 
chateau. Resting  at  Toul.  Corps  Headquarters  at  Saizerais.  The  anni- 
versary of  the  arrival  in  France.  Air  raids  at  Liverdun.  Major  Hubbell 
returns  to  United  States.  Captain  Griest  in  charge.  Preparing  for  the 
offensive.  Battalion  moves  to  Liverdun.  Daniels  and  his  Boche  shirt. 
Survey  parties.  Taking  over  the  forward  exchanges.  The  "big  show" 
starts  September  12th.  Rapid  advance  across  the  sector.  Off  to  the 
Argonne. 

Chapter  XXI — The  Argonne 202 

Moving  under  strict  orders.  Arrival  at  Rarecourt.  Equipping  Corps 
Headquarters.  Telegraph  operating.  Taking  over  the  telephone  ex- 
changes. The  "high  line."  The  offensive  starts  September  26th.  The 
"high  line"  is  pushed  ahead.  An  advance  "P.  C."  (Post  of  Command)  at 
Cotes-de-Forimont — "Bonehead."  Battalion  Headquarters  moves  to 
Locheres.     Captain  Griest  becomes  Major. 

Chapter  XXII — "Bonehead" 215 

Switchboard  operation.  Life  at  "Bonehead."  "Chubby"  Johnson  is  lost. 
Signal  lines  for  the  railroads  in  the  recaptured  territory.  Lieutenant 
Meigs  meets  the  Colonel.  Ready  to  extend  the  high  line.  Work  resimied. 
Advance  P.  C.  moved  to  Chehery.    Construction  north  of  Marcq. 

Chapter  XXIII— "Kamerad!" 228 

The  offensive  renewed  November  2nd.  Grandpre.  The  soda  water 
factory.     Rushing  the  line  to  St.  Juvin.     Corps  Headquarters  at  Harri- 


lo  CONTENTS 


court.  The  Battalion  moves  to  Harricourt.  Excitement  on  the  road. 
Piecing  out  Boche  circuits.  The  Germans  on  the  run.  Building  lines 
toward  Sedan.     Death  of  Major  Glaspey. 

Chapter  XXIV — The  Armistice 236 

Rumors  of  Armistice.  The  First  Army  Corps  relieved.  The  Battalion 
moves  south  to  Pleinchamp  Farm.  More  rumors  of  Armistice.  Fireworks 
in  the  billets.     Confirmation  November  i  ith. 

Chapter  XXV— "When  Do  We  Go  Home?" 241 

At  Chehery.  Salvaging  wire.  The  Battalion  moves  to  Tonnerre.  Thanks- 
giving. Entertainment  and  athletic  programs.  Peniberton  and  Dailey 
secure  cement  and  bricks  for  a  cookstove.  Football  games.  Basketball. 
Leaves  at  Aix-les-Bains.  The  Riviera — Monte  Carlo — and  Paris.  Christ- 
mas and  New  Year  celebrations.  Turning  in  equipment.  The  horse  and 
motor  shows.    The  406th  gets  the  Blue  Ribbons — and  the  Grand  Prize. 

Chapter  XXVI — Homeward  Bound 252 

Transferred  from  the  First  to  Fifth  Corps.  Preparing  to  leave  Tonnerre. 
The  Army  show  at  Bar-sur-Aube.  Capture  3  Blue  Ribbons  and  the  Grand 
Prize.  Inspections  at  Courcelles.  Arrival  at  Brest.  Final  inspection 
March  28th.  Major  Griest  returns  to  the  United  States.  Delousing. 
Captain  Aleigs  in  command.    Boarding  the  "Seattle"  April  8th. 

Chapter  XXVII — From  Khaki  to  "Civies" 261 

Easter.  The  arrival  at  New  York.  At  Camp  Upton.  More  inspections. 
Moving  to  Camp  Dix.  Still  more  inspections.  The  reception  in  Phila- 
delphia April  2Sth.  The  final  review  on  the  Parkway.  Standards  and 
Guidons  are  returned  to  Mr.  Kinnard.  The  Dinner  at  Scottish  Rite  Hall. 
Mustered  out.  The  Pittsburgh  party — a  parade  and  banquet  May  3rd. 
The  Harrisburg  dinner,  May  9th.     Back  on  the  job. 

Appendix 279 


MAPS 

The  Trip  Across  France 56 

The  Territory  Around  Chaumont  and  Toul 73 

From  the  Marne  to  the  Vesle 165 

St.  Mihiel,  Saizerais  and  Surrounding  Territory 190 

The  Argonne      210 


Note — The  First  Telegraph  Battalion  was  recruited  from  The  Bell  Telephone  Company  of 
Pennsylvania  and  its  Associated  Companies,  The  Delaware  and  Atlantic  Telegraph  and  Telephone 
Company  and  The  Diamond  State  Telephone  Company.  Whenever  in  these  pages,  therefore,  The 
Bell  Telephone  Company  of  Pennsylvania  is  mentioned,  it  should  be  understood  to  include  the 
Associated  Companies. 

In  similar  manner,  when  the  Battalion  is  referred  to  as  the  Pennsylvania  Battalion,  it  is  to  be 
understood  that  some  of  its  members  were  from  Southern  New  Jersey  (the  territory  of  The  Delaware 
and  Atlantic  Company)  and  some  were  from  Delaware  (the  territory  of  The  Diamond  State  Company). 


Chapter  I 


From  "Civies''''  to  Khaki 


IT  WAS  the  month  of  July,  1918.  The  enemy  had  penetrated  to  the  Marne. 
Each  day  brought  increasing  evidence  of  a  further  rush  by  the  Germans. 
On  the  night  of  the  fourteenth  the  enemy  artillery  became  extremely 
active.  Shells  began  to  drop  like  hail  on  the  hill  back  of  the  Battalion.  What 
were  the  orders  to  be?  Was  there  to  be  further  retreat — or  was  the  First 
Corps,  to  which  these  Bell  boys  were  attached,  finally  to  be  given  a  chance  to 
join  in  a  test  of  strength  with  the  oncoming  Germans? 

Schedules  had  been  prepared  for  either  eventuality.  In  case  of  retreat, 
"E"  Company  was  to  salvage  everything  possible  and  destroy  all  materials 
left.  "D"  Company  was  to  hurry  to  a  new  location  and  establish  communica- 
tion for  the  Corps.  Should  orders  be  for  resistance  and  counter-attack,  the 
men  in  the  exchanges  were  to  refuse  all  telephone  service  to  those  not  on  a 
preferred  list.  Every  human  effort  was  to  be  put  forth  to  keep  every  line 
working. 

The  cannonading  continued  during  the  fifteenth,  sixteenth  and  seventeenth. 
Major  Hubbell,  commanding  the  Battalion,  received  word  on  the  seventeenth 
that  the  Corps  was  to  attack  on  "J"  day,  "H"  hour.  At  10  o'clock  that  night 
it  was  learned  that  "J"  meant  the  eighteenth,  and  "H"  4:25  a.m.  Imme- 
diately the  prearranged  program  went  into  effect. 

Shells  continued  to  drop  all  around.  At  11:30  p.m.  all  communication 
to  the  26th  Division  suddenly  ceased.  This  meant  a  break.  Two  of  the  men 
followed  the  line  and  five  hundred  feet  away  fell  into  a  shell  hole.  The  burst- 
ing shell  had  ripped  the  wire  to  pieces.     Quick  repairs  were  made.     Hardly 


11 


12  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

had  these  men  returned  to  the  dugout  when  all  lines  to  the  rear  went  out  of 
service.  A  "gang"  immediately  started  back  and  found  the  line  almost  com- 
pletely razed  by  shell  fire.  Amid  the  roar  of  guns  and  the  constantly  explod- 
ing shells,  they  continued  making  repair  after  repair.  Time  and  again,  after 
a  break  was  fixed,  another  explosion  made  it  necessary  to  do  the  work  over. 
Not  until  the  following  night  did  the  men  get  back  to  the  Battalion. 

It  was  the  beginning  of  the  end.  All  the  work  of  stringing  wires,  setting 
poles,  placing  switchboards,  much  of  the  time  under  fire,  had  been  prepara- 
tory to  this  great  day,  which,  though  little  realized  at  the  time,  was  the 
high-water  mark  of  German  success. 

That  eighteenth  of  July  marked  the  culmination  of  an  effort  which  was 
begun  early  in  191 7,  before  our  country  entered  the  war.  The  great  im- 
portance of  the  Signal  Corps'  work  had  been  demonstrated  in  the  European 
struggle  and  Congressional  action  had  provided  for  the  organization  of  a 
Signal  Reserve.  Because  our  country  had  not  then  declared  war,  provision 
was  made  merely  for  the  Reserves  to  spend  fifteen  days  each  summer  in  a 
training  camp.  The  intention  was  to  prevent  the  mistake,  made  in  Europe, 
of  allowing  technical  men  to  enter  the  combat  forces  and  thus  become  lost  to 
their  country  so  far  as  their  specialized  technical  abilities  were  concerned. 

It  was  but  natural  for  the  War  Department,  in  organizing  a  Signal  Reserve 
Corps,  to  turn  to  the  Bell  System.  This  was  the  largest  organization  in  the 
world  doing  a  communication  business.  It  had  always  been  in  the  forefront 
in  the  development  and  improvement  of  means  of  communication.  It  had  a 
personnel  of  technical  men  who  could  be  drawn  upon  to  form  the  nucleus  of  the 
new  organization.  The  War  Department,  with  the  officials  of  the  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company,  soon  developed  plans  by  which  several 
Reserve  Signal  Battalions  were  to  be  organized  from  the  employees  of  the 
various  Associated  Bell  Companies.  John  J.  Carty,  Chief  Engineer  of  the 
Bell  System,  later  Vice-President,  was  appointed  a  Major  and  promoted 
to  Colonel  in  the  Signal  Reserve  Corps.  His  technical  ability  and  thor- 
ough cooperation  were  to  a  large  extent  responsible  for  the  success  of  the 
movement. 

Through  the  interest  and  enthusiasm  of  its  Vice-President  and  General 
Manager,  L.  H.  Kinnard,  who  later  became  its  President,  The  Bell  Telephone 
Company  of  Pennsylvania  was  the  first  company  to  start  the  work  and,  with 
the  help  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Charles  McK.  Saltzman  (later  Brigadier- 
General)  from  Washington,  and  Captain  W.  S.  Grant  (later  Colonel  on  the 
General  Staff)  of  the  Signal  Office  at  New  York,  plans  were  made  for  recruit- 
ing one  battalion  in  Pennsylvania. 

It  was  decided  that  of  the  two  Companies  one  was  to  be  organized  in  eastern 
and  central  Pennsylvania,  comprising  the  Philadelphia  and  Harrisburg  Divi- 
sions of  the  Bell  Company.     This  became  Company  "D."     The  other,  which 


FROM   "CIVIES"    TO    KHAKI 


13 


became  Company  "E,"  was  to 
be  drawn  from  the  Pittsburgh 
Division,  embracing  western 
Pennsylvania. 

As  the  entire  Battalion  was 
to  be  recruited  from  the  Bell 
ranks,  the  first  step  necessary 
was  the  selection  of  its  officers. 
Consideration  was  given  to 
those  men  who  had  had  mili- 
tary training,  but  term  of 
service  and  experience  in  the 
telephone  business  were  con- 
sidered as  being  of  greatest 
importance.  Almost  without 
exception,  those  who  were 
recommended  for  commissions 
had  completed  over  twelve 
years  with  the  telephone  or- 
ganization. After  the  required 
physical  and  mental  examina- 
tions, nine  men  were  selected 
and  recommended  to  the  War 
Department  as  having  the 
qualifications  required  of  offi- 
cei's.  They  were  commissioned 

in  the  Spring  of  1917.  Then  came  the  first  step  in  the  detail  organi- 
zation of  the  two  Companies.  Circulars  were  prepared  and  sent  to  all 
of  the  Telephone  Company's  male  employees.  This  was  just  before  our 
country  entered  the  struggle  and  but  little  was  known  of  what  the  actual 
work  of  the  Telegraph  Battalion  was  to  be,  though  in  those  dark 
days  it  was  realized  that  our  country  could  not  remain  out  of  the  conflict 
much  longer.  Of  the  six  thousand  male  employees  in  the  Company,  many 
of  whom  were  beyond  the  military  age,  fourteen  hundred  or  more  than 
twenty  per  cent  applied.  This  was  nearly  seven  times  as  many  as  could 
be  selected. 

War  was  declared  before  the  applications  were  received,  and  it  became 
known  rather  definitely  that  those  who  were  selected  would  have  some  work 
more  serious  than  the  "fifteen  days  in  a  training  camp  each  summer."  The 
applications  were  quickly  classified,  and  soon  a  number  of  men  had  been  tenta- 
tively selected  for  further  examination.  These  men,  about  five  hundred,  were 
all  personally  interviewed,  the  fact  that  war  had  been  declared  put  squarely 


Leonard  H,  Kinnard 


At  Philadelphia 


At  Harrisburg 
TAKING    THE    OATH 


14 


FROM   "CIFIES"    TO    KHAKI 


15 


before  them  to  make  sure  that,  should  they  be  selected,  each  would  eagerly 
serve  his  country  to  the  best  of  his  ability  whenever  and  wherever  called  upon. 
Throughout  these  interviews  there  was  almost  a  tendency  to  discourage  the 
applicant — so  anxious  were  the  officers  to  have  none  but  the  keenest  and  most 
enthusiastic  men  in  the  Battalion.  Finally,  those  who  had  been  interviewed 
and  had  established  their  determination  to  enter  the  Battalion  if  possible, 
were  given  a  preliminary  physical  examination.  Thus,  when  recruiting  papers 
were  forwarded  to  New  York,  it  was  with  the  knowledge  that  a  reliable  and 
physically  capable  group  of  men  had  been  selected  for  this  first  unit.  In 
these  preliminary  physical  examinations  Dr.  Macfarlan,  who  later  became 
the  Battalion  Medical  Officer,  spent  many  strenuous  days. 

So  far,  none  but  the  officers  had  definitely  obligated  themselves  to  the 
Government.  True,  the  applicants  had  all  agreed  to  many  provisions,  but 
everything  that  is  done  before  one  finally  takes  the  Oath  seems  distinctly 
informal.  "Taking  the  Oath"  is  the  last  step  in  turning  one's  self  over  to  the 
will  of  the  Military  Authorities.  Company  "D's"  Harrisburg  detachment 
lined  up  on  April  twentieth,  the  remainder  of  "D"  Company,  at  Philadelphia, 
on  the  twenty-first,  and  Company  "E,"  in  Pittsburgh,  on  the  twenty-fifth,  and 
the  New  Castle  detachment  on  the  twenty-sixth.  These  were  solemn  occa- 
sions, and  all  hands  were  stretched 
high  in  an  effort  to  demonstrate 
their  zeal  and  earnestness  as  the 
men  replied,  "I  do."  Few  could 
have  then  believed  that,  in  little 
over  a  month,  three  of  these  men 
would  be  with  General  Pershing 
— enroute  to  France;  and  that  in 
four  short  months  this  entire  group 
of  raw  recruits  would  be  whipped 
into  shape  as  splendid  soldiers, 
landed  in  France,  and  sharing  in 
the  uphill  fight  which  on  that 
eighteenth  day  of  July  had  reached 
its  crest. 

On  May  twenty-second,  1917, 
the  War  Department  issued  Spe- 
cial Order  131,  designating  this 
unit  as  the  First  Telegraph  Bat- 
talion, Signal  Reserve  Corps.  That 
this  unit  of  the  several  Battalions 
organized  from  the  Associated  Bell 
Companies  became    the    "First"  Colonel  John  j.  Carty 


3 


16 


FROM   "CIVIES"    TO    KHAKI  17 

speaks  volumes   for  the  interest  of  the  officials  and  personnel  of  The  Bell 
Telephone  Company  of  Pennsylvania. 

And  it  was  not  only  the  first  Reserve  unit  to  be  organized.  It  was  the 
first  Reserve  unit  to  be  ordered  overseas;  the  first  complete  Signal  unit  to 
arrive  in  France;  the  first  technical  unit  to  be  attached  to  General  Head- 
quarters, American  Expeditionary  Forces;  and,  when  the  First  American 
Army  Corps  was  formed,  it  was  again  the  first  technical  unit  designated  as  a 
part  of  the  Corps. 

Mr.  Kinnard  called  it  "the  Battalion  of  hand  picked  men."  From  the 
method  of  selection,  the  reader  may  judge  as  to  the  propriety  of  the  term! 
The  Battalion  consisted  of  ten  officers  and  some  two  hundred  and  fifteen 
enlisted  men.  As  further  evidence  of  the  quality  of  its  personnel,  it  should  be 
noted  that  from  these  two  hundred  and  twenty -five  men  there  developed,  prior 
to  the  close  of  the  war,  two  lieutenant  colonels,  five  majors,  three  captains, 
eight  first  lieutenants,  nine  second  lieutenants,  and  more  than  a  score  of  non- 
commissioned officers. 


Chapter  II 
Soldiers  in  the  Making 


AS  SOON  as  the  officers  were  selected,  correspondence  courses  in  infantry 
Z3k  drill  regulations  were  started,  with  weekly  assignments  and  subsequent 
jL  JL  examinations.  When  the  noncommissioned  officers  had  been  chosen, 
classes  were  organized  and  drills  held  on  two  evenings  each  week.  By  the 
end  of  April  the  Companies  were  organized  and  drills  were  held  every  Saturday 
afternoon  in  halls  rented  for  the  purpose. 

Although  by  this  time  war  had  been  declared,  the  Battalion  was  still  sub- 
ject to  the  Act  of  Congress  which  provided  merely  that  the  members  were  to 
attend  camp  for  fifteen  days  each  summer,  and  that  at  this  camp  they  would 
be  organized  into  companies ;  no  uniforms  or  other  equipment  were  to  be  fur- 
nished the  men  until  they  arrived  at  camp.  But  a  state  of  war  now  existed 
which  made  it  necessary  that  the  Signal  Reserve  Battalions  be  definitely 
organized  and  fitted  out.  It  was  this  situation  that  faced  Lieutenant  Fielding 
P.  Meigs,  Supply  Officer,  who  demonstrated  now  for  the  first  time  that  when 
it  was  necessary  for  his  Battalion  to  have  something,  nothing  could  prevent  him 
from  obtaining  what  was  needed.  In  this  case  there  were  no  regulations  under 
which  it  was  possible  to  obtain  any  equipment  for  the  men  before  they  were 
called  into  active  service.  Equipment,  especially  uniforms,  was  necessary  at 
once.  Lieutenant  Meigs,  with  the  help  of  Lieutenant  Decker,  a  man  with 
years  of  experience  in  dealing  with  Signal  Corps  property,  finally  succeeded 
in  obtaining  all  of  the  clothing  required.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Battalion 
was  so  well  uniformed  as  to  draw  comment  from  the  Regular  Army  Officers 
when  it  was  mobilized  at  Monmouth  Park.  The  Supply  Officer  later  had  many 
similar  opportunities  to  display  his  ability  in  securing  supplies.  He  kept  the 
Battalion  better  equipped  with  motor  vehicles  than  any  similar  unit  in  France ; 

18 


SOLDIERS    IN    THE    MAKING 


19 


commandeered  French  shops  in  order  to  provide  tools  for  the  construction  of 
telephone  lines;  and  kept  not  only  his  organization  supplied  with  provisions 
and  materials  but  also,  on  occasions,  other  units  supplied  with  signal  equip- 
ment. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  Saturday  afternoon  drills  began  to  show  results. 
As  the  raw  recruits  became  well  drilled  soldiers,  the  subject  for  discussion  was, 
naturally,  the  work  which  the  Battalion  might  be  called  upon  to  do.  The 
commanding  officer  of  the  organization  was  Major  James  W.  Hubbell,  who  had 
had  fifteen  years'  experience  with  the  Telephone  Company,  eleven  years  with 
the  New  York  National  Guard,  during  three  years  of  which  he  was  a  commis- 
sioned officer,  and  two  years  with  the  Pennsylvania  Cavalry.  During  the 
period  of  weekly  drills  the  Major  made  frequent  trips  to  New  York  to  learn  all 
that  he  could  which  would  enable  him  to  keep  his  Battalion  ahead  of  the  game. 

On  May  twenty-second  he  was  called  to  Washington.  Colonel  Russell 
had  been  appointed  Chief  Signal  Officer  of  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces,  and  expected  in  a  few  days  to  accompany  General  Pershing  to  France. 
He  desired  a  great  amount  of  information  concerning  the  apparatus  and  tools 
required  for  the  construction  of  various  hypothetical  lines  in  France  and 
wanted  it  immediately.     Major  Hubbell  gathered  all  the  data  available  and 


Co.  "D's"  Detachment  at  Museum  Field,  Philadelphia 


'.A  .i'iA)mm 


3 


■o 

C 
■3 
O 


o 
o. 


o 

u 


20 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


21 


Harrisburg  Detachment  Drilling  on  the  "Island' 


returned  to  Philadelphia,  where  for  two  days  and  a  night  the  Engineering 
Department  of  The  Bell  Telephone  Company  of  Pennsylvania  worked  unceas- 
ingly on  the  preparation  of  a  general  requisition  to  cover  the  material.  On  the 
twenty-fourth  the  Major  took  the  requisition  to  Washington.  The  papers 
called  for  an  expenditure  so  far  in  excess  of  any  amount  of  which  the  Signal 
Corps  had  ever  dreamed,  that  it  could  not  be  approved  without  investigation. 
A  cable  inquiry  brought  information  from  Paris  that  the  French  systems  could 
readily  furnish  "all  of  the  communication  faciHties  required."  This  caused 
the  requisition  to  be  considerably  cut  down,  with  the  result  that  after  the 
Battalion  landed  in  France,  Supply  Officer  Meigs  was  given  many  sleepless 
nights  and  hard  days'  work  getting  together  the  tools  and  equipment  neces- 
sary for  stringing  the  lines  of  communication. 

It  was  while  at  Washington  that  Major  Hubbell  learned  that  his  Battalion 
was  likely  to  land  in  France  much  earlier  than  any  of  its  members  then  ex- 
pected. He  suggested  that  if  it  were  so,  it  might  be  well  to  have  certain 
representatives  precede  the  main  body  so  that  the  preliminary  survey  work 
might  be  completed  in  advance,  and  that  actual  construction  work  might 
start  immediately  upon  the  arrival  of  the  Battalion.  The  number  of  persons 
to  accompany  the  first  convoy  had  been  rigidly  limited  by  General  Pershing, 
but  on  May  twenty-fifth  permission  was  secured  to  allow  Lieutenants  Repp 
and  Glaspey,  and  Battalion  Supply  Sergeant  Quinby  who  spoke  French 
fluently,  to  accompany  the  expedition.  That  this  was  a  wise  selection  may  be 
attested  from  the  fact  that  at  the  signing  of  the  Armistice,  Repp  was  a  Lieu- 


22 


THE    FIRST    BATTALION 


"Rookies"  at  Museum  Field,  Philadelphia 


tenant-Colonel  and  had 
been  appointed  Chief  Sig- 
nal Officer  of  the  Advance 
Section,  Services  of  Sup- 
ply; that  at  the  time 
of  his  most  unfortunate 
death  at  Toul,  on  Novem- 
ber fifth,  191 8,  Glaspey 
was  a  Major;  and  that 
Quinby,  having  acted  as 
interpreter  for  General 
Pershing's  staff,  was  later 
commissioned  as  First 
Lieutenant  and  assigned 
to  the  Intelligence  Sec- 
tion of  the  General  Staff. 
Late  in  May  the  need  for  outdoor  drill  was  sensed,  and  the  Pittsburgh 
company  secured  the  use  of  the  large  field  at  the  Pittsburgh  Exposition  grounds, 
where  Lieutenant  Suddath  put  the  men  through  their  paces;  the  Harrisburg 
section  used  the  "Island,"  and  the  Philadelphia  section  used  Museum  Field 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  These  week-end  drills  became  centers  of 
interest  for  many  telephone  officials.  Captain  "Joe"  Francis,  Engineer  of 
Appraisals  and  a  former  Guardsman,  helped  to  instruct  the  rookies,  and  his 
patience  and  painstaking  efforts  contributed  greatly  to  the  marvelous  progress 
made  at  Museum  Field.  In  an  effort  to  take  advantage  of  the  most  valuable 
training  possible,  certain 
of  the  more  experienced 
instrument  men  were 
placed  in  various  test 
rooms  of  the  Long  Dis- 
tance Company,  so  they 
might  gain  practice  in 
handling  a  great  variety 
of  equipment;  men  who 
were  familiar  with  tele- 
graph codes  were  taken 
into  the  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Company  op- 
erating rooms,  where  they 
were  given  intensive  train- 
ing; Farrington,  Dailey, 
Smithoover     and     Davis  Capt.  "Joe"  Francis  Gives  a  Lesson 


»- 

w&M 

»itJF 

. 

r 

^ 

isa^p-> 

1 

i 

[ 

ji'r^M 

3H 

ImT 

r 

SOLDIERS   IN    THE    MAKING 


23 


were  dispatched  to 
the  School  for 
Army  Cooks  at 
Fort  Wood;  truck 
drivers  were 
"farmed  out"  to 
various  truck  re- 
pair stations;  and 
clerical  men  were 
relieved  from  their 
office  duties  and 
put  out  on  the 
lines  with  con- 
struction gangs. 

During  the  sec- 
ond week  in  June, 

information  was  received  that  the  Battalion  might  soon  be  called  into  service, 
and  the  work  of  preparation  became  more  feverish.  All  were  excused  from 
further  telephone  duty  and  taken  out  into  the  country  for  daily  hikes  and  drills. 

Each  man  was  urged  to  make  a  will,  and  aid  was  also  given  to  each  in 
arranging  his  business  affairs,  as  no  one  could  foresee  where  this  great  adven- 
ture might  lead. 


Learning  to  Read  Wig- Wag 


Chapter  III 


They  re  Off! 


THE  time  had  come  when  home  ties  must  be  broken.  It  was  a  beautiful 
Sunday,  that  seventeenth  day  of  June,  when  the  Company  "E"  men  at 
Pittsburgh  said  their  farewells.  They  were  dined  by  their  Bell  com- 
rades, then  marched  through  the  streets  in  the  fading  light  of  the  setting  sun 
to  the  station,  and  soon  were  speeding  toward  Philadelphia  on  their  way  to 
camp  in  New  Jersey.  A  stop  at  Greensburg  gave  the  telephone  people  and 
other  friends  in  that  city  an  opportunity  to  express  their  farewells  and  to  turn 
over  to  the  men  of  the  Battalion  baskets  filled  with  "eats"  to  help  lighten  the 
journey.  Lieutenant  "Long  John"  Suddath  was  a  military  man  from  his  hat 
to  his  shoes.  As  the  train  was  rounding  Horseshoe  Curve  at  9 :3o  he  summoned 
Bugler  Fest:  "You  man,  you're  in  the  Army  now!  Don't  you  know  that  a 
soldier  can't  go  to  sleep  without  taps?    Get  out  that  horn  and  get  busy!" 

On  that  same  evening  the  Harrisburg  section,  too,  marched  to  the  station 
and  amid  songs  and  cheers  and  surrounded  by  relatives  and  friends,  started 
on  their  journey  to  the  same  destination. 

The  Harrisburg  men  upon  their  arrival  in  Philadelphia  were  quartered 
in  the  Museum  Barracks  over  night.  At  5:30  in  the  morning  Company  "E" 
reached  Philadelphia  and  the  men  were  soon  splashing  around  in  a  large 
swimming  pool  where  the  fatigue  of  the  all-night  journey  was  quickly  for- 
gotten. 

The  Telephone  Company's  officials  invited  the  Battalion  to  breakfast  at 
the  Union  League,  and  as  the  Pittsburgh  and  Harrisburg  men  with  the  Phila- 
delphia section  assembled,  they  had  the  first  opportunity  to  see  their  future 
comrades.     In  urging  all  to  do  their  best  in  drills.  Major  Hubbell  had  been 

24 


THEY'RE    OFF! 


25 


'Good-bye,  Harrisburg" 


reporting  to  each  Com- 
pany the  progress  of  the 
other.  It  was  interesting 
that  morning  to  watch  the 
men  "sizing  up"  their  fel- 
lows— and  at  the  same 
time  striving  to  maintain 
a  military  bearing  in- 
tended to  impress  the 
other  members  of  the 
Battalion.  Any  one  at- 
tending the  Battalion 
mess  a  few  months  later 
might  well  come   to  the 

conclusion  that  its  members  had  become  considerably  better  acquainted. 
When  the  meal  was  over  there  was  a  short  period  of  fraternizing,  of  getting 
better  acquainted.  Telephone  officials  who  were  to  run  the  jobs  at  home, 
proudly  and  soberly  encouraged  the  men  who  were  bound  for  France.  Assem- 
bly was  sounded  and  the  Battalion  was  formed  in  a  hollow  square  in  the 
historic  Union  League  Assembly  Hall.  Behind  the  khaki-clad  men  were 
groups  of  civilians,  silent  and  with  shining  eyes.  The  room  was  so  still  that 
one  could  almost  hear  the  breeze  which  stirred,  high  up  on  the  wall,  the  blue 
silk  standard  that  had  been  carried  during  the  Lincoln  presidential  campaign 
and  with  it,  one  which  had  flown  over  the  Gettysburg  encampment  at  the 
semi-centennial  of  that  great  battle,  when  the  men  from  the  two  old  armies  met 
and  exchanged  salutes  on  the  field  where  they  had  once  been  in  terrible  combat. 


Co.  "E"  in  Philadelphia 


Entering  Union  League 


26 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Mr.  Kinnard  advanced  to  the  center  of  the  room, 
as  he  spoke : 


He  was  deeply  moved 


"Men  of  the  First  BattaHon,  Signal  Reserve  Corps:  This  is  not 
a  blue  Monday;  it's  a  Red,  White  and  Blue  Monday.  I  am  here 
not  as  an  executive  of  your  Company  and  mine;  I  am  here  as  one 
of  the  gang,  please,  who  has  climbed  a  pole,  dug  a  hole,  made  a  cable 
splice,  installed  an  instrument — here  representing  the  seventeen 
thousand  odd  of  the  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls — your  fellow- 
workers. 

"To  be  selected  for  this  task  and  in  this  capacity  is  particularly 
pleasing  and  gratifying  to  me. 

"You  men  composing  this  Battalion  have  been  chosen  from  those 
of  your  fellows  because  of  your  particular  fitness  for  the  tasks  to  be 
assigned  to  you  in  connection  with  the  Signal  Corps  of  the  Army 
of  the  United  States.  To  be  selected  as  you  were  is  a  very  high 
honor;  a  real  obligation  goes  with  this  honor  that  I  have  not  the 
slightest  doubt  you  will  very  creditably  discharge.  The  training 
you  have  had  particularly  fits  you  for  this  branch  of  the  military 
service;  the  army  training  you  will  have  is  going  to  bring  you  back 
to  civic  life  better  qualified  as  telephone  men  and,  I  trust,  even 
better  citizens. 

"The  good  wishes,  love  and  affection  of  your  fellow- workers  in 
the  Pennsylvania  group  are  yours.  We  shall  have  a  very  real  pride 
in  all  that  you  will  do ;  and  at  no  stage  of  your  undertaking  should 


Breakfast  at  Union  League 


THEY'  RE    OFF!  27 


you  have  occasion  to  feel  that  you  are  not  supported  by  the  cheers 
and  prayers  of  the  crowd  who  will  have  to  stay  home  because  you 
were  the  best  fitted  to  go. 

"Military  duty  demands  absolute  obedience  and  discipline.  You 
have  been  loyal  employees ;  your  volunteering  for  this  service  is  only 
another  evidence  of  that  loyalty.  While  absolute  discipline  would 
be  insisted  upon — which  is  the  way  of  the  Army — I  ask  that  it  be 
given  most  cheerfully  and  voluntarily.  Conscientious  thought  was 
given  to  the  selection  of  your  officers.  It  was  no  mean  job  to  pick 
men  best  qualified  not  only  in  a  technical  telephone  sense,  but  also 
best  qualified  to  care  for  the  health  and  welfare  of  this  body  of  men 
while  in  the  field.  Following  strictly  what  they  order  and  suggest 
will  mean  health,  happiness  and  honor,  and  I  am  sure  a  thoroughly 
merited  'Well  done!'  from  the  citizenship  of  the  country  whom  you 
go  out  to  serve. 

"The  men  and  women  who  have  been  associated  with  you,  jealous 
of  the  privilege  of  presenting  your  Battalion  colors,  have  asked 
me,  in  their  names,  to  make  this  presentation.  Unfortunately  the 
battle  flags  are  not  ready  for  delivery,  but  will  catch  up  with  you 
in  a  few  weeks — two  silk  guidons,  one  American  flag,  and  your 
Battalion  standard.  I  have  here  for  presentation  two  bunting 
guidons  and  your  bunting  American  flag — the  gift  of  your  Company 
associates. 

"I  like  to  think  that  they  symbolize  an  ideal — the  high  con- 
ception which  your  fellow-employees,  in  common  with  you,  hold  of 
your  duty.  In  civil  life  it  was  your  ideal  that  no  service  should  be 
more  prompt,  more  efficient,  more  unselfishly,  and  more  cheerfully 
given  than  the  service  rendered  to  the  public  by  your  Company. 
It  has  been  our  habit  not  to  be  content  to  play  second  to  any  in 
our  performance.  Carry  these  ideals  with  you — always  having  in 
mind  the  importance  of  the  function  you  are  performing.  Let  it 
guide  you  in  your  construction  of  signal  service  lines  and  in  their 
maintenance  so  that  they  will,  as  nearly  as  is  humanly  possible,  be 
in  condition  to  carry  the  messages  that  are  so  essential  to  the 
successful  conduct  of  this  great  campaign,  always  having  in  mind 
that  the  reasons  which  inspired  your  country  to  engage  in  this  con- 
flict were  of  the  highest  type;  that  no  self-seeking  on  the  part  of 
your  country  is  responsible  for  its  participation;  no  extending  of 
territorial  boundries;  no  indemnities;  no  seeking  to  increase  its 
importance  among  the  world's  nations  other  than  for  good;  but 
that  our  participation,  as  in  all  our  previous  wars,  is  due  to  the 
real  sense  of  duty  we  owe  to  civilization  and  the  extending  and 
maintaining  of  the  personal  liberty  which  we  hold  to  be  the  right 
of  each  individual. 

"Keeping  these  things  in  mind,  acting  as  we  know  you  will  act, 
our  salutation  to  your  flag  will  be  second  only  to  that  accorded  to 
the  Stars  and  Stripes." 

Major  Hubbell,  accepting  the  standards,  turned  them  over  .to  the  Color 
Guard,  and  the  band  played  the  National  Anthem. 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Down  Market  Street,  Philadelphia 

might    be  encountered   while    the 


There  was  no  ap- 
plause. There  was  a  feel- 
ing in  the  heart  of  each 
one  present  which  could 
not  be  safely  entrusted 
to  expression.  The  silence 
was  most  impressive. 

A  messenger  boy  ad- 
vanced toward  the  Major 
with  two  boxes.  These 
contained  sums  which 
had  been  contributed  by 
the  employees  remaining 
at  home,  to  provide  for 
the  many  emergency  ex- 
two   Companies    were   in 


penses   which 
the  service. 

Immediately  after  the  assembly  broke  up,  the  Battalion  formed  on  Broad 
Street.  Farewells  had  been  said  and  few  of  the  soldiers  expected  again 
to  see  their  relatives  and  friends  until  the  big  work  had  been  finished.  The 
column  swung  around  City  Hall  and  down  Market  Street  like  an  organization 
of  veterans.  At  Independt  nee  Hall  a  short  stop  was  made  so  that  the  first 
Battalion  photograph 
might  be  made  in  the 
shadow  of  that  historic 
building.  Then  the  march 
to  the  ferry  was  resumed. 

Well-wishers  crowded 
the  narrow   platform  in 

the    Camden   station   as  

the     men     entered    the  ^'"^^^^^^^^^-^m  a 

train.        Outstretched 

hands  were  gripped  from 

the  car  windows.     There  were  few  dry  eyes  as  the  band  played  its  parting  airs. 

The  train  pulled  slowly  out  of  the  station.     Arms  and  hats  were  waving  as  a 

token  of  farewell.     The  cars  rounded  a  cur\'e  and  the  crowd  at  the  station 

passed  out  of  sight.     The  First  Battalion  was  on  its  way! 


They're  Off! 


Chapter  IV 


Monmouth   Park 


IT  WAS  but  a  short  ride  to  the  camp  at  Monmouth  Park  where  the 
Battalion  was  to  undergo  intensive  training  for  overseas  service.  The  in- 
spiring exercises  of  the  morning  at  Union  League  and  the  cheering  crowds 
along  the  march  and  at  the  station  seemed  to  have  their  effect  on  the  feel- 
ings of  the  men.  They  swung  into  the  camp  with  such  snap  and  military- 
bearing  as  not  only  to  fill  their  own  officers  with  pride  but  to  create  a  deep 
impression  upon  the  "regulars"who  were  waiting  to  receive  them. 

Tents  had  already  been  pitched,  but  in  and  around  them  was  a  thick  tangle 
of  briers  and  poison  ivy.  As  soon  as  cots,  bed  sacks,  and  mess  equipment  had 
been  furnished  by  the  supply  detachment,  mess  was  served.  After  a  strenuous 
afternoon  spent  in  cutting  down  the  briers  and  ivy,  the  toilers  were  ready  early 
to  try  out  their  new  sleeping  quarters,  vowing  vengeance  upon  the  Germans, 
whom  they  held  responsible  for  aching  backs  and  blistered  hands.  A  little 
later  Jones  received  permission  to  visit  his  home  and  he  was  eloquent  in 
describing  these  duties  at  camp.  One  of  his  friends  became  incensed  that  a 
soldier  had  to  do  such  menial  labor  and  made  the  very  pertinent  remark: 
"I  should  think  the  Government  would  hire  men  to  do  that  kind  of  work!" 

The  training  at  this  camp  was  under  the  general  supervision  of  Lieutenants 
Milliken  and  Corlett,  who  were,  respectively,  the  Adjutant  and  Executive 
Officer  of  the  camp,  representing  the  Signal  Office  of  the  Eastern  Department. 
In  direct  charge  of  the  First  Battalion  were  Captains  Streider  and  Whitworth. 
These  men,  all  of  whom  had  seen  long  service  in  the  Signal  Corps  of  the 
Regular  Army  and  were  now  holding  commissions  in  the  Reserve  Corps,  were 
most  helpful  in  completing  the  transition  to  a  smoothly-working  military 
organization.  Regular  drills  were  started  that  first  Tuesday  morning  bright 
and  early,  the  programs  having  been  outlined  at  various  officers'  meetings  on 
Monday  evening. 


3° 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Monmouth  Park  which  afterward  became  a  famous  Signal  Corps  Camp, 
known  as  Camp  Alfred  Vail,  was  originally  a  race  course  and  had  had  very- 
little  use  for  probably  twenty  years.  Portions  of  the  track  were  cultivated  as 
truck  patches,  but  the  most  of  it  was  overgrown.  Plans  had  already  been  com- 
pleted for  the  erection  of  a  number  of  barracks,  and  all  of  the  available  men 
from  the  First  and  Second  Reserve  Telegraph  Battalions  (the  Second  Bat- 
talion was  organized  from  employees  of  the  New  York  Telephone  Company) 
were  kept  at  work  each  afternoon  clearing  up  the  grounds  so  that  construction 
might  start. 

Lumber  had  begun  to  arrive  for  the  new  barracks  and  one  by  one  the 
pyramidal  tents  occupied  by  the  Telegraph  Battalion  acquired  comfortable 
wood  floors.     But  the  Construction  Quartermaster  discovered  that  his  lumber 


i'ia^liiij 


piles  were  shrinking  before  any  building  had  commenced  and  the  "rustling" 
process  was  stopped.  However,  the  tent  colony  seemed  quite  satisfied  with 
its  labors. 

One  after  another  cases  of  ivy-poison  developed  and  about  the  time  that 
the  victims  were  recovering,  inoculations  against  typhoid  and  paratyphoid 
and  vaccinations  against  smallpox  were  heaped  upon  them  in  rapid  suc- 
cession. 

Sunburn,  ivy-poison,  inoculations  and  vaccinations — these  are  the  things 
that  stand  out  in  the  memories  of  those  who  were  at  Monmouth  Park.  "Six 
shots  in  the  arm  and  thirteen  boils,  while  learning  thirty  bugle  calls  in  two 
lessons,  'them  were  the  happy  days,'  "  as  Fest  put  it.     We  must  not  forget  to 


MONMOUTH   PARK 


31 


Cleaning  up  the  Grounds 


mention  the  camp  visits  of 
that  well-known  product 
of  New  Jersey — the  mos- 
quito. Perhaps  "visits"  is 
not  the  right  word;  they 
seemed  to  make  their 
home  in  the  camp  and 
apparently,  from  their 
enthusiasm,  very  much 
enjoyed  their  feast  on 
these  healthy  red-blooded 
men. 


At  the  beginning  of  the  second  week,  drills  throughout  the  entire  day  were 
called  for.  Immediately  after  morning  mess,  camp  was  thoroughly  'policed," 
and  then  came  the  assembly  call  for  physical  exercise.  A  familiar  sight  was 
Lieutenant  Milliken,  shouting  his  commands  from  the  top  of  a  large  box,  while 
the  men  went  through  the  muscle-stretching  antics.  Then  there  were  long 
periods  of  infantry  drill,  instruction  in  guard  duty  and  military  courtesy,  and 
the  reading  of  the  "Articles  of  War"  to  small  groups,  There  were  also  prob- 
lems in  map  reading,  and  regularly  the  First  Sergeant's  forces  were  assembled 
in  the  Adjutant's  tent  for  instructions  in  the  intricacies  of  Army  "paper-work." 

Lieutenant  Suddath  was  chief  instructor  in  guard  duty,  and  the  various 
guard  details  showed  the  effects  of  his  instruction.  He  had  so  thoroughlj' 
impressed  the  rules  upon  his  men  that  one 
dark,  rainy  night,  upon  his  return  to  camp 
in  a  Ford  which  had  been  lent  to  the  Bat- 
talion by  the  Telephone  Company,  the  Lieu- 
tenant was  forced  to  "dismount  and  advance 
to  be  recognized."  In  the  middle  of  a  puddle 
and  in  the  glare  of  the  headlight,  "Suddy" 
straightened  up  his  six-feet-two  of  indigna- 
tion and  thundered — "You,  man!  Who  am 
I?"  "Mike" — it  was  Scanlon  who  so  dis- 
turbed the  Lieutenant — did  not  argue  with 
his  preceptor.  Another  time  Hull  was  sweep- 
ing around  his  tent  when  Lieutenant  Sud- 
dath approached.  Hull  brought  his  broom 
to  "present  arms"  without  realizing  what  he 
was  doing.  "What  do  you  think  this  is?" 
said  Suddath.     "Do  you   take   me    for  an 

officer  in  some  d broom  brigade?    Cut 

out  the  funny  stuff!"  "Smoke" 


32  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

At  the  beginning  of  the  third  week,  Signal  Corps  construction  problems 
were  started,  being  generally  developed  by  Captain  Hollister  of  Company 
"E."  Telephone  lines  were  quickly  built  and  as  quickly  recovered  in  all 
parts  of  the  camp  grounds  and  along  the  neighboring  roads,  and  at  the  same 
time,  the  Battalion  completely  installed  the  telephone  system  for  the  camp 
headquarters. 

A  number  of  trucks  were  received  at  the  camp  and  those  familiar  with  motor 
vehicles  were  taken  from  the  Battalion  for  a  short  course  of  instruction.  At 
about  the  same  time  certain  motorcycles  were  also  furnished,  and  it  became 
the  duty  of  the  motor  sergeants  to  instruct  every  one  in  the  organization  in 
the  operation  of  these  treacherous  conveniences.  Many  trees  in  the  region 
surrounding  the  camp  could  tell  of  sudden  jars  due  to  the  fact  that  there  are 
times  when  amateur  motorcycle  drivers  are  unable  to  think  and  to  act  with 
stifficient  rapidity  to  prevent  collisions. 

The  program  for  training  developed  so  rapidly  that  there  were  not  enough 
hours  during  the  day  to  cover  all  of  the  work  required.  Evening  classes  were 
started.  Instructions  were  given  in  general  Army  practices.  Still  there 
seemed  some  hours  of  waking  in  which  profitable  instruction  might  be  received, 
and  a  French  class  was  begun.  Lessons  were  given  by  Professor  Nomberg 
and  his  wife,  of  New  York,  who  were  spending  the  summer  at  a  nearby  town 
and  who  gave  each  week-day  evening,  except  Saturday,  to  the  Signal  Corps 
men. 

Who  ever  heard  of  a  military  organization  without  a  mascot?  A  woman 
tourist  from  Pittsburgh  passed  the  camp  and  was  interested  to  find  that  many 
of  the  men  were  from  her  home  town.  A  few  days  later  she  returned  with  a  fine 
little  fox  terrier  which  she  presented  to  the  Battalion.  On  account  of  a  large 
black  spot  on  his  face  and  his  connection  with  the  Smoky  City,  the  pup  was 
promptly  christened  "Smoke."  A  friend  from  Daniels'  home  town  one  day 
brought  a  little  collie  pup  which  was  given  the  name  of  "Bruce."  Unfor- 
tunately, while  boarding  the  transport,  a  large  barracks  bag  fell  on  Brace's 
back  and  the  pup  was  so  badly  injured  that  he  died.  "Smoke,"  however, 
accompanied  the  BattaUon  during  its  work  in  France  for  over  a  year,  but 
under  the  wheels  of  a  motorcycle  he  met  the  fate  of  many  military  mascots. 
There  were  other  mascots  of  a  decidedly  temporary  nature  at  Monmouth 
Park.  A  young  crow  adopted  one  of  the  members  of  Company  "D,"  and 
was  at  first  a  very  genteel  and  orderly  bird,  but  before  long  became  a  confirmed 
collector  of  pipes  and  other  small  articles  belonging  to  the  soldiers.  "Jim" 
resented  the  punishment  which  was  the  reward  for  his  thievery,  and  finally 
left  the  Battalion,  as  did  a  pretty  little  blue  sparrow-hawk  which  condescended 
to  live  in  the  camp  for  two  or  three  weeks. 

From  time  to  time  various  officials  of  the  Telephone  Company  came  to  the 
camp  to  see  the  boys  and  note  the  development  of  the  Battalion.    Only  a  few 


THE    OFFICERS 
Back  Row-Lieut.  Fielding  P.  Meigs;   Lieut.  Douglas  Macfarlan;   Lieut.  Wm.  F.  Gauss; 

Lieut.  Leroy  N.  Suddath 
Front  Row-Lieut.  Thomas  H.  Griest;  Capt.  Roy  C.  HoUister;  Maj.  James  W.  Hubbell- 

Capt.  Wm.  P.  Wattles 


FIRST     PICTURE! 
Independent 


34 


HE     BATTALION 
ne  18,  1917 


35 


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King.  Vinton  P.                 Reid.  George  D. 

,e»is,  Archie  L.                   Richards.  Ernest 
Lindley.  Hiram  V              Riley.  Francis  C. 

-obaugh,  Ford                   Rohr.  Edward  C, 
Logsdon.  Earl  A.                Scanlon.  Michael  J. 
Maloney.  Frederick           Schmitt,  Fred  1 
Mohr.  Edw.  P.                   Sebring.  Glen 
Morcom,  Myles  M.           Seybert,  Roy 
McCann,  Alfred  E.            Shaffer.  Leo  F, 
MeCann.  Chauncey           Sherman,  William  1 
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MONMOUTH   PARK 


31 


of  the  more  rugged  of  the  oflficials,  however,  were  willing  to  chance  an  over- 
night stay  with  the  soldiers.  Upon  one  such  occasion  Mr.  Kinnard,  who  was 
accompanied  by  P.  C.  Staples,  Publicity  Manager,  later  Vice-President  of  the 
Bell  Company,  and  Frank  Wisse,  Editor  of  "The  Telephone  News,"  decided  to 


The  Men  were  Proud 

of  their 

"  Housewives ' ' 


Camp  Pets 


accept  a  very  pressing  invitation  to  spend  the  night  in  camp.  Before  the 
guests  retired  to  their  beds  of  straw  which  Lieutenant  Meigs  had  supplied,  the 
latter  displayed  a  snake  which  he  claimed  to  have  found  in  the  straw — casually 
remarking  that  he  did  not  know  how  many  others  there  might  be  in  the  bed 
sacks.  Evidently  Lieutenant  Meigs  was  not  taken  seriously,  for  the  guests 
were  out  bright  and  early  to  follow  all  of  the  military  activities.  Mr.  Kin- 
nard vowed  that  he  had  had  a  good  night's  rest,  but  Mr.  Staples  and  Mr.  Wisse 
were  more  critical  of  their  alleged  comforts.     Upon  another  occasion,  "Boss" 


38 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Above — A  Halt  for  a  Drink  from  the  Water  Wagon 
Lower  left — Amateur  Cooks  Lower  right — On  a  Hike 


Badger  came  in  from  Pittsburgh,  and  during  that  week-end  no  one  could  have 
driven  him  away  from  his  "gang." 

The  silk  standards  which  had  been  promised  were  now  finished,  and  on 
July  twenty-third  Mr.  Kinnard  and  his  staff  again  graced  the  officers'  mess 
with  their  presence,  seemingly  enjoying  the  pork  and  beans  which  Farrington 
and  his  crowd  had  prepared.  In  the  party  were  J.  C.  Lynch,  later  Vice- 
President  and  General  Manager,  and  Mr.  Staples.  The  Battalion  was  assem- 
bled. Mr.  Kinnard  tried  to  speak,  but  was  overcome  by  emotion  at  the 
thought  of  the  impending  departure  of  his  "boys."  Words  failed  him  and  he 
silently  turned  over  the  beautiful  standards  to  Major  Hubbell. 

July  was  a  rainy  month  and  spirits  were  rather  low,  but  toward  the  end 
of  the  month  the  weather  again  became  very  hot.  During  this  warm  spell 
Lieutenant  Meigs  obtained  overcoats,  winter  caps,  arctics,  and  other  heavy 


MONMOUTH   PARK  39 

apparel.  No  one  who  has  not  done  it  can  imagine  the  misery,  on  an  extremely 
hot  day,  of  trying  to  fit  overcoats,  either  in  the  boiling  sun  or  in  a  hot,  crowded 
tent.  "JeflF"  Adams,  however,  seemed  to  take  kindly  to  the  winter  equipment 
and  for  a  few  days,  except  when  at  drills,  wore  his  winter  cap  solemnly  around 
the  sun-baked  park.  Twohig  kicked  about  the  fit  of  his  shoes.  Thorpe, 
Meigs'  right-hand  man,  investigated  and,  feeling  of  them,  said  that  they 
fitted  very  well.  Thereupon  Twohig  removed  one  of  the  shoes  and  showed 
that  he  had  on  his  civilian  shoes  underneath !  Thorpe  had  to  admit  that  the 
complaint  was  justified. 

The  latter  part  of  July  brought  the  last  physical  examinations  and  took 
from  the  Battalion  eleven  men,  including  "Big"  Hollister,  Company  "E's" 
Captain.  This  was  a  severe  blow,  both  to  the  Battalion  and  to  the  men  who 
were  forced  to  withdraw.  Many  of  the  latter  sought  afterward  to  enter  the 
service  with  other  organizations,  Sommers,  from  Atlantic  City,  even  submitting 
to  an  operation  before  finally  being  accepted  for  service  in  another  signal  unit. 
The  greatest  loss  was  Captain  Hollister — a  telephone  construction  man  of 
years  of  experience  and  extremely  well  fitted  to  meet  the  supreme  test  of  mili- 
tary capacity — the  test  of  leadership.  His  loss  was  deeply  felt  by  all  of  the 
men  in  the  Battalion. 

Captain  HoUister's  removal  made  it  necessary  to  look  for  another  officer. 
Major  Hubbell  pleaded  with  the  authorities  to  have  the  Company  proceed 
under  Lieutenant  Gauss.  Permission  was  granted  to  have  the  Company 
temporarily  commanded  by  a  Lieutenant  but,  because  of  serious  vacancies 
already  existing  in  the  officers'  personnel,  due  to  Lieutenants  Repp  and  Glas- 
pey  being  already  in  France,  Major  Hubbell  was  ordered  to  select  a  Lieutenant 
from  the  training  Battalion  then  in  camp.  With  the  help  of  Captains  Streider 
and  Whitworth,  who  had  by  this  time  been  permanently  taken  from  the  Bat- 
talion and  made  instructors  in  the  Officers'  School,  Major  Hubbell  selected 
Lieutenant  Cecil  V.  Lawrence,  formerly  with  the  New  England  Telephone 
Company  at  Bangor,  Maine.     This  subsequently  proved  a  fortunate  choice. 

Shortly  after  the  Officers'  Instruction  School  had  been  established.  Major 
Hubbell  was  given  permission  to  recommend  one  technical  man  from  the 
Battalion  for  a  commission.  Sergeant  Winston  of  Company  "D"  was  selected 
and  became  a  Lieutenant.  He  reached  France,  via  England,  in  November, 
191 7,  with  the  408th  Telegraph  Battalion,  becoming  Captain  in  the  following 
July  and  Major  in  April,  1919. 

Throughout  July  there  were  rumors  of  departure  for  France,  and  as  the 
month  drew  toward  its  close  many  events  indicated  that  there  was  fair  founda- 
tion for  these  reports.  The  officials  of  the  American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Company  had  shown  great  interest  in  the  camp  during  their  numerous  visits. 
On  July  twenty-fifth,  the  President,  Theodore  N.  Vail,  with  U.  N.  Bethell, 
N.  C.  Kingsbury,  N.  T.  Guernsey  and  Major  J.  J.  Carty,  all  members  of 


40 


MONMO UJH   PARK 


4I 


Mr.  Vail  Calls  and  Says  Good-bye 

his  staff,  came  to  the  camp  to  bid  the  First  and  Second  Reserve  BattaHons 
farewell.  The  Battalions  passed  in  review  before  Mr.  Vail  and  Colonel  Hart- 
man,  the  camp  commander.  Then  the  men  were  formed  in  a  square. 
Colonel  Hartman  introduced  Mr.  Vail  to  the  military  offspring  from  his  tele- 
phone organization  and  as  the  venerable  President  advanced,  his  emotion  was 
quite  evident.  He  felt  the  deep  significance  of  this  occasion  when  he  was  to 
have  the  last  word  with  the  men  before  they  left  to  take  up  their  important 
work  on  foreign  soil.     When  he  regained  control  of  his  feelings  he  spoke: 

'Boys,  I  have  come  down  to  say  good-bye  before  you  go.  You 
have  transferred  the  allegiance,  intelligence  and  faithfulness  you 
have  shown  to  our  Company  and  your  Company,  and,  in  so  far  as 
you  put  these  into  your  service  for  your  country  and  our  country, 
you  will  earn  all  the  commendation  any  one  can  give  you.  You 
must  all  do  your  best — not  comparative,  good,  better,  best — but 
your  very  best.  It  is  not  comparative,  it  is  relative,  and  relative  to 
each  of  you,  and  you  must  make  it  relative  to  your  opportunities, 
your  abilities,  your  training  and  everything  else. 

"I  wish  you  all  success,  and  hope  to  meet  you  again  in  no  distant 
future,  and  wish  you  all  the  good  things  that  are  coming,  and  a  safe 
return." 


Departure  seemed  imminent.  The  BattaHon  still  needed  twenty  tele- 
graph operators,  and  no  medical  detachment  had  been  provided.  Captain 
HoUister,  who  had  remained  at  camp  to  render  any  service  possible,  was 


42  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

dispatched  to  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh  to  line  up  the  final  recruiting,  and 
on  August  fifth  the  new  men  arrived.     They  were: 

Edmond  J.  Atwood  Almond  D.  McKay 

Leon  O.  Bailey  Herbert  S.  McNichol 

Albert  Banholzer  Ralph  B.  Parke 

John  A.  Dwyer  Allan  M.  Peterson 

William  C.  Geddling  William  C.  Pfefferle 

Frank  W.  Hull  Vincent  P.  Roach 

Barney  Kayser  John  D.  Ross 

Jacob  Kline  Alvin  C.  Sherrill 

John  M.  Koser  John  J.  Smith 

Charles  P.  Leasure  William  T.  Smith 

Joseph  T.  Lord  Gaston  Theriot 

Esten  C.  McCrery  Horace  B.  Welk 
Thomas  Worrall 

Medical  Detachment 

1st  Lieut.  Douglas  Macfarlan         Pasquale  J.  Cagnina 
John  A.  Brown  Frederic  H.  Gloor 

John  Boyd  Nicholas  H.  Kilroy 

John  Lister 

Four  others,  Harry  F.  Devlin,  Paul  A.  J.  Henry,  John  K.  Maxwell  and 
Emmett  Moss  reached  the  boat  on  the  seventh,  little  more  than  an  hour  before 
it  left  the  dock.  For  the  next  two  days  the  way  for  these  "rookies"  was  a 
hard  one.  During  their  waking  hours  they  were  either  worked  nigh  to  death 
by  Lieutenant  Suddath's  intense  drilling,  as  he  attempted  to  whip  them  into 
the  finest  possible  shape,  or  were  rushed  around  the  camp  by  Lieutenant 
Meigs  as  he  tried  to  complete  their  equipment. 

Throughout  the  stay  at  Monmouth  Park,  and  particularly  during  the 
final  rush  of  preparing  to  depart,  the  Supply  Officer,  with  Magill,  Thorp, 
Gardiner,  Lyons  and  Seymour,  and  ably  assisted  by  Stille  and  Sebring,  were 
probably  the  hardest  toiling  men  in  the  outfit.  These  assistants  were  well 
advertised  by  having  their  names  thundered  from  the  Supply  Officer's  tent 
almost  every  minute  of  the  day.  In  the  contest  of  wits  with  Lieutenant 
Decker,  Lieutenant  Meigs  met  a  worthy  foe,  but  no  complexity  of  routines 
nor  restrictions  of  red  tape  could  prevent  him  from  steadily  increasing  his 
stock  of  supplies  to  fit  out  the  new  recruits.  By  threats,  cajolings  and  general 
persuasiveness  he  secured  what  he  needed  from  Lieutenant  Decker,  who 
probably  spent  many  weary  hours  afterward  attempting  to  square  himself 
with  his  conscience  and  the  records. 

All  of  the  men,  to  their  gratification,  were  allowed  to  make  week-end  trips 
home,  and  August  sixth  found  every  one  working  with  the  knowledge  that  it 


MONMOUTH   PARK 


43 


was  to  be  the  last  day  on  American  soil  for  a  long  time.  Lieutenant  Macfar- 
lan,  who  had  just  arrived,  built  up  his  medical  detachment.  Major  Hubbell 
scurried  everywhere  to  see  that  his  orders  were  in  proper  shape.  Lieutenant 
Griest  kept  Sergeant  Bradford  busy  with  the  reports  and  records. 

By  three  o'clock  the  next  morning  mess  had  been  finished,  and  all  of  the 
surplus  equipment  turned  back  to  the  Camp  Quartermaster.  In  the  many 
months  of  service  which  followed,  there  were  numberless  movings  but  none 
such  as  this.  Everything  that  was  of  no  value  was  put  in  one  huge  pile  and, 
with  the  straw  from  bed-sacks,  was  burned,  making  a  huge  camp  fire.  In  the 
flickering  light  from  the  fire  the  Battalion  formed  and  marched  down  to  board 
the  train  at  Little  Silver  Station.  The  touch  of  humor  in  this  name  "Little 
Silver"  was  brought  home  each  pay  day. 


Above — Packing  up  at  Monmouth  Park 
Center  left — Loading  up  Center  right — Rookies 

Below — ^Flags  on  Board  the  Ferry 


44  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

The  train  was  speeding  toward  "an  Atlantic  Port"  and  all  were  indulging 
in  serious  thoughts  as  the  sun  began  to  rise  over  the  Jersey  meadows.  This 
was  the  real  beginning  of  the  great  adventure.  What  would  the  sea  trip  be 
like?  Few  had  had  the  experience  of  ocean  travel.  Would  the  dreaded  sub- 
marines "get"  the  ship?  How  would  they  manage  to  operate  in  a  strange 
country,  and  just  how  much  actual  fighting  would  they  see?  What  would 
happen  to  the  people  at  home  while  they  were  away?  These  reveries  ended 
as  the  train  pulled  into  Jersey  City,  and  all  were  quickly  directed  to  a  waiting 
ferry  boat  which  departed  immediately  for  Hoboken.  In  these  early  troop 
movements  everything  was  done  to  prevent  publicity,  but  workers  on  passing 
boats  readily  recognized  the  soldiers  and  gave  them  many  rousing  cheers. 

At  the  pier  there  was  little  time  for  thought — all  was  action.  Up  one  pier 
and  down  another  they  marched,  until  at  last  they  filed  up  the  gang  plank  of 
the  transport  "Antilles,"  and  the  First  Telegraph  Battalion,  Signal  Reserve 
Corps,  had  embarked  for  foreign  service. 


Chapter  V 


Dodgiiig  Submarines 


THE  "Antilles,"  before  the  war,  was  a  Southern  Pacific  liner,  designed 
to  carry  bananas  and  other  fruits.  She  was  not  built  with  an  eye  to 
comfort  as  a  troop  ship.  Crowded  on  board  with  the  First  and  Second 
Reserve  Telegraph  Battalions  were  an  Ambulance  Battalion,  an  Ammunition 
Train,  and  a  Trench  Mortar  Battery.  Despite  the  congestion,  however,  the 
troops  settled  down  and  had  an  opportunity  to  ponder  over  the  submarine 
situation.  Many  a  furtive  glance  was  cast  toward  the  lifeboats  and  other 
safety  apparatus. 

At  1 :30  p.m.,  August  seventh,  the  good  ship  left  the  pier  and  started  down 
the  river.  All  troops  were  ordered  to  keep  out  of  sight  and  this  rule  aroused 
little  enthusiasm,  for  it  prevented  many  who  had  never  been  there  before  from 
enjoying  a  glimpse  of  New  York  Harbor  and  the  skyline  of  lower  Manhattan. 
No  soldiers  were  visible  on  the  boat,  yet  passing  vessels  seemed  to  sense  that 
it  was  a  troop  ship.  They  blew  their  whistles  and  the  band  of  an  excursion 
boat  stopped  playing  its  ragtime  and  struck  up  "Good-Bye,  Good  Luck,  God 
Bless  You." 

A  short  trip  brought  the"Antilles"  to  the  rendezvous,  Gravesend  Bay,  and 
the  troops  were  then  allowed  on  deck.  Other  ships  were  gathering  to  form 
the  convoy.  The  afternoon  was  spent  in  shifting  the  men  around  and  making 
them  as  comfortable  as  their  cramped  quarters  would  permit. 

It  was  decided  that  the  Artillery  troops  would  furnish  the  ship's  guard  and 
the  Signal  troops  the  watch,  this  latter  being  the  lookout  and  under  the  super- 

45 


46 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


vision  of  the  Navy.  Captain  "Bill"  Wattles  was  made  commanding  officer 
of  the  watch,  but  before  he  had  completed  his  schedule  for  the  first  night, 
darkness  had  settled  on  the  bay  and,  as  no  lights  were  allowed,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  locate  the  stateroom  list  of  officers  whom  he  could  put  on  duty.  As  a 
result,  he  had  to  spend  most  of  the  night  acting  as  officer  on  all  watches. 


"I 


Plowing  Steadily  Eastward 


Daylight  brought  a  surprise  to  most  of  the  men  on  board.  At  lo  o'clock 
on  the  previous  evening  anchor  had  been  lifted,  and  the  convoy  had  stolen 
noiselessly  out  of  the  harbor.  So  quietly  had  the  departure  been  managed, 
that  the  troops  on  board  were  unaware  of  it  until  daylight  showed  them  the 
sea  on  all  sides,  as  the  ships  plowed  their  way  steadily  eastward. 

Morning  gave  the  officer  of  the  watch  an  opportunity  to  organize  his 
forces.  The  horizon  was  divided  into  sixteen  parts  and  sixteen  men  were 
assigned,  each  to  keep  his  eyes  on  his  particular  sector.  Four  men  were  as- 
signed to  each  of  the  two  crows'  nests.  These  eight  men  divided  the  sea  into 
eight  sectors — each  man  to  keep  his  eyes  on  the  part  assigned  to  him.  By  this 
means  every  visible  portion  of  the  sea  was  covered  by  two  pairs  of  eyes. 

The  convoy,  steaming  quietly  ahead,  was  impressively  calm  and  business- 
like. The  big  ships  were  in  column  with  the  "Finland"  first,  then  the  "An- 
tilles," "Lenape,"  "San  Jacinto"  and  "Henderson."  Far  out  in  the  lead  was 
their  watch  dog,  the  battleship  "Montana,"  and  out  on  either  flank  the 
destroyers  "Monahan"  and  "Jewett." 

From  the  beginning  there  was  the  usual  grumbling  about  the  food  and 
quarters.    An'occasional  entertainment  in  the  evening  behind  blanketed  win- 


DODGING    SUBMARINES  47 

dows  helped  to  break  the  monotony.  A  quartet  from  Company  "E,"  Hough, 
Sebring,  Stille  and  Williams,  made  a  hit  and  Dobbie,  of  Company  "D,"  with 
his  Scotch  dialect  stories,  was  the  star  comedian.  Tom  Longboat,  the  famous 
Indian  long  distance  runner,  gave  the  audience  an  account  of  his  experiences 
with  the  Canadians  at  Ypres. 

On  the  night  of  the  fifteenth  storm  clouds  began  to  gather,  and  in  the  inky 
blackness  every  eye  was  strained  to  keep  track  of  the  other  ships.  About  mid- 
night the  storm  broke.  Navy  officers  aboard  admitted  that  it  was  quite  a 
squall.  The  "landlubbers,"  however,  considered  it  a  very  real  storm.  Through- 
out the  next  day  it  rained  and  the  night  again  settled  black  and  blowing  and 
raining.  Clouds  began  to  lift  about  midnight  and  a  light  ahead  proved  to  be 
on  the  "Montana."  The  convoy  had  become  separated  and  the  "Montana" 
had  taken  a  chance  and  displayed  a  small  light  in  the  hope  of  helping  the 
wandering  vessels  to  reassemble.  The  entire  convoy  did  not  reform  until 
some  time  the  next  forenoon,  all  the  ships  having  become  scattered  and  having 
plowed  through  the  storm  toward  the  rendezvous  appointed  for  the  morning 
of  the  seventeenth. 

At  noon  on  the  seventeenth  a  fleet  of  six  destroyers  came  out  of  the  East 
to  meet  the  convoy,  and  the  "Montana"  with  the  two  destroyers  disappeared 
into  the  West.  The  new  destroyers  constantly  circled  the  fleet,  chasing  in 
every  direction  like  terriers.  When  a  ship  appeared  on  the  horizon  one  of  the 
destroyers  scurried  out  to  turn  it  away.  That  night  the  watch  became  even 
more  alert,  and  all  of  the  men  were  warned  most  seriously  that  they  were 
now  heading  into  the  zone  where  the  greatest  vigilance  was  necessary.  The 
fact  that  all  of  the  lives  on  the  ship  depended  on  this  watchfulness  was 
most  thoroughly  impressed  upon  their  minds.  All  were  required  to  sleep  in 
their  clothes,  having  life  preservers  and  other  paraphernalia  beside  them  so 
they  could  answer  an  "abandon  ship"  call  in  a  moment. 

The  navy  officers  were  splendid  men,  as  was  the  ship's  master,  who  had 
been  its  captain  when  it  was  a  peaceful  freighter.  All  of  these  were  particu- 
larly proud  of  the  construction  of  the  "Antilles,"  vowing  that  she  could  not 
possibly  sink  even  if  torpedoed.  This,  together  with  the  fact  that  so  far 
all  had  gone  well,  fostered  a  feeling  of  confidence.  At  noon,  Sunday  the 
nineteenth,  the  alarm  whistle  of  a  nearby  boat  suddenly  was  sounded  and  the 
"Antilles"  gave  a  lurch  as  she  was  turned  quickly  out  of  her  course.  All  im- 
mediately rushed  to  the  decks  with  their  life  preservers.  Although  the 
destroyers  raced  wildly  around  the  fleet,  and  all  of  the  boats  zigzagged,  noth- 
ing developed.  It  was  reported  that  a  torpedo  had  passed  near  the  bow  of  a 
destroyer.  Some  depth  bombs  were  dropped  without  apparent  effect,  and 
after  a  time  the  convoy  settled  down  into  a  state  of  semi-calm  to  await  the 
next  excitement.  Twice  during  the  afternoon  the  gunners  were  again  signaled 
to  their  posts  but  nothing  serious  happened.     At  daylight  on  the  twentieth, 


1— One  of  the  Gun  Crews  2— A  Crow's  Nest  3— "The  Most  Popular  Sport" 

4 — Pulling  Away  from  the  Dock     5 — A  Sub-chaser,  the  French  Coast  in  the  Distance 
6 — Boarding  the  "Antilles"        7 — Arrival  at  St.  Nazaire       8 — During  the  Submarine  Excitement 

SNAPPED    ON    THE    WAY    OVER 

48 


DODGING    SUBMARINES 


49 


the  watch  sighted  fleets  of  small  fishing  vessels  with  their  charming  weather- 
stained  sails  of  red  and  yellow  and  blue. 

Suddenly,  about  eight  o'clock,  just  as  Belle  Isle  was  sighted  and  all  were 
feeling  happy  because  the  journey  was  nearing  an  end,  came  a  shot  from  one 
of  the  destroyers.  There  was  a  rush  to  the  guns.  Shot  after  shot  was  fired, 
the  troops  remaining  on  deck  in  their  life  belts.  Two  French  airplanes  came 
out  from  shore  to  render  assistance.  The  engagement  lasted  more  than  an 
hour,  and  if  any  one  felt  any  great  fear  he  successfully  concealed  it.  A  feeling 
of  confidence  in  the  Navy  seemed  to  permeate  the  ship. 

Altogether  about  seventy  shots  were  fired  and  ten  depth  bombs  dropped. 
Just  what  the  toll  of  submarines  was  no  one  knows,  but  the  estimates  varied 
from  the  conservatism  of  the  bridge  to  the  enthusiasm  of  the  hold.  Some  said 
one  and  some  said  ten.  The  subject  was  still  being  debated  as  the  convoy 
with  the  aid  of  the  French  pilot  steamed  slowly  into  the  harbor.  Everywhere 
were  small  boats  with  their  wonderfully  colored  sails,  the  sailors  waving  their 
hats  and  shouting  "Vive  les  Americaines !"  Throughout  the  afternoon  the 
procession  continued  up  the  harbor,  the  seaside  cottages  dotting  the  green 
hills  which  sloped  down  to  the  beach.  About  five  o'clock,  amid  enthusiastic 
throngs  of  cheering  Frenchmen  gathered  on  the  quay,  the  "Antilles"  pulled 
into  the  basin  at  St.  Nazaire.     France  at  last ! 

All  on  board  expected,  of  course,  that  they  would  be  able,  before  dark,  to 
leave  the  boat  and  have  a  chance  to  test  their  land  legs  after  thirteen  days  at 
sea.  But  there  was  no  such 
luck.  They  were  compelled 
to  content  themselves  with 
the  amusement  of  tossing 
pennies  to  the  children  who 
ran  along  the  bank,  and  in 
being  allowed  to  smoke  and 
have  lights  after  dark.  In  the 
quiet  and  peace  of  the  harbor 
all  thoughts  of  stuffy  quar- 
ters and  of  ship's  food  were 
forgotten  in  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  soon  there 
would  be  opportunity  to  be- 
gin the  work  for  which  they 
had  set  out.  With  thoughts  of  the  debarkation,  all  turned  in  for  their  last 
sleep  on  shipboard. 

The  "Antilles"  returned  to  America  and  brought  over  one  more  load  of 
troops.  That  was  her  last  trip.  While  on  her  way  back  to  the  United  States 
she  was  torpedoed  and  went  down  in  six  minutes. 


B^HI  CABLEGRAM 


,  ^O'lO   Ml-    3   5U    P 

FKANCf 

KtkXBD  ifcjj       ^Rc    5T    PHIL* 

8*  re   ttLL 

HUBS  ELL 


«| 


>-• n 


Chapter  VI 


'So  This  Is  France!'' 


THERE  was  no  mockery  about  the  term  "Sunny  France"  on  the  morning 
of  August  twenty-first.  Beautiful  weather  greeted  the  men  and  few  Un- 
gered  long  over  their  last  meal  on  shipboard.  Immediately  after  mess  the 
troops  landed  and  the  Signal  Battalions  marched  through  the  crooked  streets  of 
the  quaint  old  town.  There  had  been  few  American  soldiers  in  St.  Nazaire  and 
crowds  quickly  gathered  to  wave  and  shout  their  greetings.  Children  ran 
along  the  streets,  tossing  flowers  to  the  soldiers  and  attempting  to  grasp  their 
hands.  After  leaving  the  town,  the  march  led  over  dusty  roads  to  the  recently 
constructed  Base  Camp  No.  i.  At  the  entrance  to  the  camp  a  Marine  Band 
struck  up  lively  tunes  at  the  arrival  of  each  new  unit.  It  did  not  take  long 
for  the  men  to  make  themselves  at  home.  Some  unloaded  and  unpacked  the 
baggage.  More  important,  others  hurried  around  to  find  the  material  with 
which. to  answer  the  question  "When  do  we  eat?" 

The  camp,  although  prepared  to  receive  thousands  of  troops,  was  still  in 
course  of  construction.  Everywhere  were  French  soldiers  working  on  new 
barracks,  assisted  by  details  of  German  prisoners.  These  latter  were  a  curiosity 
— it  was  the  first  sight  of  the  enemy,  but  American  guards  forbade  conversation 
with  them. 

Many  were  the  new  regulations  to  be  learned.  The  Battalion  was  fre- 
quently assembled  so  that  instructions  could  be  passed  out  to  the  men.  The 
greatest  stress  was  laid  on  the  new  censorship  regulations,  which  were  in  such 

so 


'SO    THIS   IS   FRANCE!" 


^i 


Disembarking 


an  embryonic  condition  that  they  were  changed  almost  daily.  Many  of 
the  letters  which  had  been  written  aboard  the  steamer  had  to  be  rewritten 
because  of  the  rigidness  of  the  rules.  It  seemed  to  most  of  the  men 
that  about  all  they  were  al- 
lowed to  say  was,  "Some- 
where in  France.  I  am  here 
and  well.    Good-bye." 

Dickson  had  been  a  dili- 
gent student  of  the  French 
language,  both  at  Monmouth 
Park  and  on  the  way  over. 
Hardly  had  he  landed  at  St. 
Nazaire  than  he  looked  around 
for  an  opportunity  to  try  it 
out.     He  saw  a  Frenchman 

and  approached  him.        Very         German  Prisoners— One  of  the  First  Sights  at  St.  Nazaire 

carefully,   in   his   very    best 

French,  he  asked  a  question.     The  Frenchman  looked  at  him  in  a  puzzled 

way  and  then  said:  "If  you'd  say  that  in  English,   I'd  understand  you  a 

d sight  better." 

An  old  friend  turned  up  at  camp  on  the  second  evening — Lieutenant  Repp 
of  Company  "D."  The  erstwhile  Supervisor  of  Buildings  was  arrayed  in  a 
foreign  made  uniform  with  Sam  Browne  belt,  boots  and  spurs,  and  it  seemed 
that  service  in  France  had  quickly  transformed  old  "Bill"  from  a  civilian  of 
quiet  tastes  to  a  military  tailor's  model.     Lieutenant  Repp  had  already  gone 


52  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

over  much  of  the  territory  in  which  the  BattaHon  would  work,  and  he,  with 
Lieutenant  Glaspey,  had  determined  in  general  the  routes  which  would  be 
followed,  the  type  of  construction  to  be  used  and  where  material  for  the 
work  might  be  obtained.  In  studying  telephone  needs,  these  oflficers  had 
covered  by  automobile  some  sixteen  hundred  miles,  passing  through  more  than 
six  hundred  towns.  Lieutenant  Repp  suggested  that  the  Majors  of  the  two 
Battalions  go  to  Paris  to  report  to  Colonel  Russell  so  that  they  might  obtain 
definite  ideas  on  the  work  which  they  might  be  expected  to  do.  This  sugges- 
tion was  immediately  followed.  On  their  return,  they  too  were  splendidly 
decked  out  with  boots  and  spurs  and  Sam  Browne  belts. 

Drills  were  started  as  soon  as  the  men  had  become  established  in  the  camp 
and,  as  a  very  pleasant  bathing  beach  was  located  not  far  distant,  a  hike  to 
this  beach  and  a  swim  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  became  a  part  of  the  daily  drill 
program. 

New  acquaintances  were  made  each  day  and  evening  during  the  stay  at 
St.  Nazaire,  particularly  in  the  nearby  cajes,  and  the  soldiers  found  Suzanne 
and  Elaine  and  other  attractive  waitresses  most  helpful  in  teaching  them 
French.  There  was  one  group,  consisting  of  Foust,  Hasskarl,  Bradford  and 
Price,  who  were  rather  secretive,  rarely  taking  any  one  with  them  on  their 
evening  walks  and  visits  to  the  cafes.  What  the  attraction  was  has  always 
remaine^l  ..  mystery. 

A  Y.  M.  C.  A.  tent  had  been  erected.  Entertainments  were  arranged  from 
time  to  time,  and  one  evening  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Herbert  Adams  Gibbons  provided 
a  most  interesting  program.  A  track  and  field  meet  had  been  scheduled  for 
the  second  day  after  the  Battalion's  arrival  in  camp.  Company  "E"  saw  to  it 
that  the  Signal  Corps  was  represented,  Hackett  winning  the  fifty-yard  dash 
and  taking  second  place  in  the  "hundred,"  W.  J.  Beck  winning  one  first  and  a 
second  in  the  weight  events  and  Scanlon  taking  third  in  the  "hundred." 

On  the  twenty-third,  orders  were  received  directing  a  large  detail  to  proceed 
immediately  by  train  to  Chaumont  to  install  a  telephone  system  for  General 
Pershing's  Headquarters,  soon  to  be  moved  from  Paris  to  that  place.  Men 
from  Company  "E"  were  assigned  to  the  task,  and  Lieutenant  Gauss,  with  his 
detail,  set  off,  after  Lieutenant  Meigs  had  obtained  for  them  supplies  and 
coffee  money,  this  latter  to  enable  them  to  purchase  hot  coffee  from  the  French 
canteens  at  various  stops  long  the  line.  At  Orleans  there  was  an  opportunity 
to  see  the  famous  Cathedral,  with  the  scaffolding  for  repairs,  abandoned  when 
the  workmen  were  called  to  war,  still  in  place.  During  the  stop  at  Troyes, 
Hackett  and  McAnallen  wandered  so  far  from  the  train  that  it  later  rolled  on 
toward  Chaumont  without  them.  These  adventurous  tourists,  however, 
boarded  another  train,  an  express,  and  arrived  at  Chaumont  ahead  of  the  detail. 

Lieutenant  Glaspey  met  the  detail  and  it  was  marched  through  Chaumont 
amid  the  cheers  of  the  French  populace.     The  French  barracks  which  were  to 


•so    THIS    IS    FRANCE!" 


53 


Barracks,  Base  Camp  No.  1,  St.  Nazaire 


be  used  by  the  Americans  had  not  been  sufficiently  disinfected,  and  the  men 
pitched  their  shelter  tents  in  a  field  nearby.  The  ground  was  stony,  but  after 
their  two  days  and  nights  in  the  crowded  compartments  of  a  French  coach  all 
were  weary  enough  not  to  lose  any  time  worrying  about  their  rough  beds. 
The  following  morning  they  tackled  their  first  big  job.  ^*  '-' 

A  call  from  Paris  sent  Ryno,  O'Brien  and  Noonan,  of  Company  "D," 
to  that  city  to  take  over  and  organize  a  telegraph  office.  Ryno  eventually 
returned  to  his  company  in  February,  191 8,  but  the  other  men,  two  of  the  best 
telegraph  operators  in  the  Battalion,  were  officially  detached  from  their 
organization  so  they  might  remain  on  duty  at  this  most  important  office. 
Ryno  tells  his  story  of  the  early  days  in  the  Paris  Office : 

"After  General  Pershing  and  his  staff  moved  to  Chaumont,  the 
Paris  office  became  the  headquarters  of  the  line  of  communications, 
and  I  was  made  chief  operator.  During  my  connection  with  this  office 
it  grew  from  a  single  position  to  sixteen  positions,  not  including 
two  sets  of  repeaters  used  on  the  Chaumont-London  wires,  requiring 
thirty-five  operators  and  ten  clerks  to  handle  the  traffic.  The 
majority  of  this  equipment  was  installed  under  my  direction.  In 
fact  it  was  generally  necessary  that  I  do  the  work  alone  as  there 
were  no  special  installation  men  in  Paris  at  the  time.  A  little  later 
Lieutenant  Fay,  with  a  detachment  of  Western  Electric  men,  arrived 
and  at  once  proceeded  to  equip  the  office  with  ail-American  equip- 
ment. In  addition  to  my  duties  as  chief  operator,  I  was  in  charge 
of  a  local  cable  office.  The  E.  F.  M.,  meaning  "Expeditionary  Force 
Message,"  enabled  every  member  of  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces  to  send  cablegrams  to  America  at  reduced  rates. 

"On  account  of  the  rapid  growth  of  this  cable  department,  it 
became  necessary  to  organize  an  auditing  office,  and  I  was  trans- 


54 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Above — The  Railroad  Station  at  Chaumont 
Lower  left — On  the  Way  to  Chaumont  Lower  right — Assembling  Cars  at  St.  Nazaire 

EARLY    DAYS     IN     FRANCE 


f erred  to  that  office,  and  remained  there  until  returned  to  the 
Battalion  in  February,  1918,  where  I  was  immediately  introduced 
to  a  bar  and  shovel." 

United  States  soldiers  were  still  a  novelty  in  France.  The  French  people 
were  eager  to  show  their  appreciation  of  America's  participation  in  the  war. 
During  the  stay  at  St.  Nazaire  the  Battalion  received  an  invitation  to  a  recep- 
tion at  La  Baule  on  Sunday,  August  twenty-sixth.  About  forty  were  allowed 
to  go  and  lots  were  drawn  to  see  who  would  be  the  lucky  men.  La  Baule  is 
a  fashionable  French  watering  place  on  the  Brittany  coast,  where  many  Pari- 
sian families  are  accustomed  to  spend  the  summer.  The  town  had  been  beau- 
tifully decorated  and  there  were  triumphal  arches  and  floral  bowers. 

The  soldiers  on  their  arrival  at  La  Baule  formed  at  the  station  and  marched 
through  the  town  behind  an  artillery  band,  the  people  showering  them  with 


"SO    THIS    IS   FRANCE!''  SS 

flowers.  At  the  City  Hall  the  town  reception  committee,  headed  by  the 
Mayor,  made  speeches  of  welcome,  which  few  of  the  men  understood.  The 
column  was  then  dismissed  and  the  soldiers  mingled  with  the  people.  Each 
resident  of  the  town  had  constituted  himself  a  committee  of  one  to  receive  and 
entertain  whomever  he  happened  to  meet,  and  the  American  soldiers  scattered 
in  all  directions.  During  the  afternoon  the  beach  was  crowded,  and  the 
soldiers  splashed  about  in  borrowed  bathing  suits.  On  the  program  were 
Punch  and  Judy  shows,  moving  pictures  and  other  forms  of  amusement.  The 
whole  town  turned  out  to  say  farewell  to  the  men  when  they  departed  for  St. 
Nazaire  that  evening. 

Orders  had  been  received  on  the  night  of  the  ship's  arrival  that  the  First 
Battalion  was  to  go  to  Chaumont  and  the  Second  to  Dijon.  The  time  for 
leaving  camp  was  given  as  August  twenty-seventh,  at  thirteen  o'clock — the 
first  introduction  to  this  extremely  practical  Continental  method  of  indicating 
time  on  railroads  and  in  the  Allied  armies.  The  march  to  the  station  was 
started  in  a  terrific  downpour  of  rain.  Kraus,  of  Company  "D,"  was  left 
behind  to  see  that  Signal  property  arriving  on  any  of  the  transports  did  not 
go  astray.  That  Kraus  accomplished  well  the  work  to  which  he  had  been 
assigned  was  evidenced  after  he  had  returned  to  the  Battalion,  when  he  was 
recommended  by  high  officers  of  the  Signal  Corps  for  the  April  class  of  the 
Army  Candidates  School. 

Much  has  been  told  of  the  troop  cars  marked — "Hommes  40,  Chevaux 
8" — but  fortunately,  or  so  it  seemed  at  first,  the  two  Signal  Battalions  traveled 
in  passenger  coaches.  As  the  hours  of  the  long  trip  rolled  by,  many  of  the 
men,  generally  six  in  each  compartment,  began  to  feel  that  they  might  have  had 
less  cramped  quarters  in  the  little  freight  cars.  Worse  still,  a  few  of  the  com- 
partments contained  seven  or  eight  men.  In  one  of  these  latter,  Tomlinson 
slung  his  shelter  tent  as  a  hammock  near  the  ceiling,  one  slept  in  the  aisle 
below,  one  imder  each  seat  and  two  on  top  of  each  seat.  Koser,  another  man 
who  drew  a  place  in  a  well  crowded  compartment,  describes  the  situation: 

"Say,  folks,  that  was  some  nest! 
The  trip  was  long  and  weary, 

I  lost  my  pants  and  shoes. 
And  Corporal  Park's  feet  were  in  my  face 

When  I  woke  up  from  a  snooze." 

At  each  stop  there  was  wild  confusion  among  the  French  railroad  employees. 
The  interpreter  invariably  learned  from  the  Commissionaire  de  la  Care  that 
the  train  would  stop  for  only  five  minutes.  Usually,  after  waiting  for  perhaps 
forty  minutes,  it  would  be  learned  that  the  train  might  remain  there  for  an- 
other half  hour.  Immediately  the  coaches  would  discharge  their  weary  pas- 
sengers. The  officers,  for  whom  no  corned  beef  and  hard  tack  had  been  pro- 
vided, hurried  to  the  buffet,  there  to  encounter  a  chattering  and  excited  mob. 


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56 


"SO    THIS    IS    FRANCE!" 


57 


The  only  way  to  get  any  attention  was  to  start  away  with  some  food — then 
the  price  was  quickly  ascertained.  Throughout  the  journey  the  greatest  cau- 
tion was  impressed  upon  each  one  because  of  the  possible  presence  of  enemy 
spies.  Within  the  coaches  and  at  each  station  there  were  displayed  placards 
bearing  the  admonition : 

"Taisez  Vous! 
Mefiez  Vous ! 
Les  Oreilles  Ennemies 
Vous  Ecoutent!" 

The  trip  led  through  Nantes,  and  on  the  following  day  through  Orleans  and 
the  region  of  the  chateaux.  On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  a  halt  was  made 
at  Troyes.  Here  the  Battalions  were  separated,  the  Second  starting  for  Dijon. 
The  Chaumont  train  reached  its  destination  at  noon. 

As  the  Battalion  assembled  outside  the  station  Lieutenant  Glaspey,  with 
Captain  Behn  of  Colonel  Russell's  staff,  arrived  and  directed  the  march 
through  town,  passing  the  large  barracks,  soon  to  become  General  Pershing's 
headquarters,  to  a  beautiful  boulevard,  and  under  the  trees  along  this  road 
tents  were  pitched.  The  procession  developed  into  another  warm  reception 
from  the  French. 

Before  the  Battalion  had  started  toward  Chaumont,  Engstrom,  Urffer, 
Whitlock,  Armstrong  and  Craigmile  had  been  sent  to  a  motor  park  at  St. 
Nazaire  to  assemble  motorcycles  and  trucks.    There  were  no  tools  provided 
other  than  those  in  the  kits  accom- 
panying the  machines,  and  the  park       . 
at  the  time  consisted  of  a  lot  into 
which  the  motors  were  dumped  as 
they    were    taken    from    the   ships.       i 
There  was  no  shelter  under  which  to       ■ 
work  on  the  assembling,  but  never- 
theless when  it  was  time  for  the  Bat- 
talion  to   pull  out,  these  men  had 
fixed  up  three  trucks  and  a  motor- 
cycle, the  first  motor  equipment  used 
by  the  Signal  Corps  in  the  American 

Expeditionary  Forces.  The  Second  Battalion  in  a  similar  manner  obtained 
motor  equipment,  and  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Christman,  the 
Supply  Officer  of  the  Second  Battalion,  the  trucks  for  both  Battalions  set 
out  from  St.  Nazaire. 

On  the  way  across  France  another  man  was  detached.  Custard,  of  Com- 
pany "E,"  was  retained  at  Nevers  to  assist  in  the  establishment  of  one  of  the 
largest  Signal  Corps  bases,  and  was  later  transferred  from  his  company  and 
commissioned  a  Lieutenant  in  the  Signal  Corps. 


Chapter  VII 


At    General.    Headquarters 


THE  Company  "E"  detachment  under  Lieutenant  Gauss  had  reached 
Chaumont  three  or  four  days  before  the  remainder  of  the  BattaHon, 
and  had  immediately  set  to  work,  under  the  supervision  of  Lieutenant 
Glaspey.  Telephone  and  telegraph  equipment  and  a  lighting  plant  were 
needed  at  once  in  the  Caserne  Lambert  for  General  Pershing  was  soon  to  be 
established  there.  The  lOO-line  switchboard  was  installed  by  Mumford,  Heis- 
ler  and  Gaghagen;  Spears  with  John  Miller  and  Graber  set  up  the  "Delco" 
power  plant;  while  several  installers  placed  the  wiring  in  the  buildings  which 
formed  the  barracks.  Telegraph  service  to  Paris  was  established  over  a  wire 
leased  from  the  French  and  operated  by  George,  Lindley  and  Bierfreund. 
Such  were  the  beginnings  of  the  Signal  Corps  activities  at  Chaumont,  which 
later  developed  into  a  service  comparable  in  size  and  number  of  messages 
handled  with  the  largest  offices  in  France. 

Those  who  were  detailed  to  this  wire  work  soon  learned  to  appreciate  the 
solidity  of  French  masonry,  particularly  as  it  was  necessary  to  do  all  of  the 
drilling  for  attachments  with  the  very  light  French  tools.  But  these  tools 
had  to  be  used  because  the  American  type  was  not  yet  available.  Captain 
Behn  and  Lieutenant  Glaspey  were  unceasing  in  their  eflforts  to  obtain  an 
adequate  supply  of  tools  and  material. 

During  the  installation  of  telephones  at  the  barracks  it  became  necessary, 
as  there  was  no  underground  connection,  to  swing  a  span  of  aerial  cable  be- 
tween two  of  the  buildings.     Aerial  cable  was  unknown  in  France  and  the 


68 


AT   GENERAL    HEADQUARTERS  59 

French  engineers  were  skeptical.  They  felt  that  this  form  of  construction 
could  not  be  lasting.  However,  Russell  and  McAnnallen,  the  cable  experts 
of  Company  "E,"  twisted  together  bare  wire  and  made  a  sufficiently  strong 
wire  rope  from  which  to  suspend  overhead  the  extremely  heavy  French  under- 
ground cable.  On  account  of  the  success  of  this  aerial  cable  job,  Russell  and 
McAnnallen  were  sent  to  Paris  to  instruct  the  French  telephone  men  in  aerial 
cable  construction. 

The  Battalion  camp  was  situated  under  rows  of  beautiful  big  oaks  which 
lined  the  boulevard.  In  clear  weather  the  location  was  delightful  and  the 
views  beautiful.  The  ground  fell  off  rapidly  into  the  valley  of  the  little  Mame. 
Far  to  the  north  and  west  the  hills  were  dotted  here  and  there  with  glistening 
spires,  each  denoting  one  of  the  innumerable  small  villages.  In  wet  weather, 
however,  the  camp  was  far  from  comfortable.  For  the  sake  of  concealment, 
the  tents  were  kept  under  the  trees,  and  this  location,  exposed  to  the  north 
and  west  winds,  was  extremely  disagreeable.  There  were  no  cots,  and  it  took 
but  little  rain  to  make  soggy  masses  of  the  straw-filled  bed  sacks.  This, 
however,  was  in  line  with  the  ideas  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  who  was 
anxious  that  the  men  become  quickly  hardened  to  the  rigors  of  camp  life. 

To  insure  the  completion  of  the  headquarters'  telephone  equipment  on 
scheduled  time,  all  available  central  office  men  were  sent  to  help  Lieutenant 
Gauss  as  soon  as  the  camp  had  been  established.  As  a  result,  in  just  one  week, 
both  telephones  and  electric  lights  were  working. 

There  have  been  many  signal  organizations  which  had  claimed  the  credit 
for  erecting  the  first  poles  in  France.  It  would  be  a  hard  matter  to  convince 
the  men  of  the  First  Battalion  that  the  six  poles  which  they  erected  for  the 
stringing  of  telephone  and  electric  light  wires  around  Headquarters  that  last 
week  in  August,  191 7,  were  not  the  first  to  be  erected  by  the  American  Signal 
Corps. 

The  first  American  officers  arrived  at  the  new  Headquarters  on  the  first 
of  September,  and  the  French  planned  a  dedication  ceremony  for  the  after- 
noon. When  the  exercises  were  about  to  begin,  it  was  discovered  that  there 
were  no  American  troops  present!  How  could  American  Headquarters  be 
dedicated  without  a  "doughboy"  to  grace  the  occasion?  Somebody  had  an 
inspiration.  The  First  Telegraph  Battalion!  Why  not?  Off  came  the 
overalls,  and  on  went  the  uniforms.  In  a  very  few  minutes,  they  lined  up  at 
attention  as  the  exercises  were  carried  out  and  the  American  and  French  flags 
were  raised  to  the  tops  of  the  staffs.  Thus  did  the  Battalion  represent  the 
rank  and  file  of  the  whole  American  Army  at  the  dedication  of  General  Head- 
quarters, A.  E.  F. 

During  the  week  following  the  arrival  in  this  camp,  the  officers  went  over 
the  route  for  the  first  trunk  line,  to  be  built  between  Chaumont  and  Neuf- 
chateau.     The  route  had  been  tentatively  selected  by  Lieutenant  Repp  and, 


6o 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


in  a  broad  way,  permission  had  been  obtained  from  the  state  authorities  to 
place  poles  along  the  roads,  across  bridges,  and  through  towns.  The  details 
of  the  route,  however,  had  not  been  studied  nor  had  materials  been  obtained. 
Lieutenants  Repp  and  Glaspey  were  delegated  by  the  Chief  Signal  Officer 
to  obtain  poles  and  arrange  for  their  distribution.  It  was  at  first  planned 
that  all  of  the  poles  should  be  shipped  from  America,  but  after  realizing  the 
vast  number  which  would  be  required,  Colonel  Russell  decided  that  the  cargo 
space  could  not  be  spared  and  that  poles  must  be  obtained  in  France.  Lieu- 
tenant Repp  obtained  from  the  French  Pastes  et  Telegraphes  and  from  other 


Above  left:   The  Aerial  Cable  Above  right:   Underground  Construction 

Center:  Underground  Construction 

Lower  left:   The  Camp  Under  the  Trees       Lower  right:   The  Mess  Tents  Were  Centers  of  Interest 

AT   CHAUMONT 


AT   GENERAL    HEADQUARTERS  6i 

sources  about  seven  thousand  poles  and,  as  soon  as  the  studies  were  made  for 
this  first  Hne,  he  set  about  obtaining  French  brackets,  wire  and  other  fittings. 
While  the  studies  were  progressing  Major  Hubbell,  with  some  of  his  staff, 
traveled  up  and  down  the  highways  to  settle  various  construction  problems 
which  had  arisen. 

McCann,  who  was  "chauff curing"  for  the  Major,  gave  him  a  thrill  one  dark 
night  by  bumping  into  a  team  of  oxen. 

Although  it  could  readily  be  seen  before  the  construction  was  begun  that 
it  would  eventually  be  a  twenty-  or  thirty- wire  line,  there  was  so  little  material 
available,  that  only  one  pair  of  wires  could  be  strung  at  the  start.  French 
construction  in  ordinary  times  does  not  countenance  crossarms  along  the 
highways.  They  are  considered  pasjolie,  and  furthermore,  the  French  believe 
that  their  soil  is  not  sufficiently  solid  to  hold  single  poles  with  crossarms. 
Where  crossarms  are  used  they  are  usually  placed  on  "H"  fixtures  consisting 
of  two  poles.  Probably  the  most  important  reason  of  all,  however,  for  this 
opposition  to  crossarms  comes  from  the  fact  that  their  use  would  require 
either  that  the  lines  be  placed  on  private  property  or  else  so  close  to  the  trees 
bordering  the  highways  as  to  require  that  the  latter  be  trimmed.  It  is  difficult 
to  decide  whether  the  suggestion  of  trimming  trees  or  of  placing  poles  on 
private  property  caused  the  greater  consternation  among  the  French  officials. 
In  all  of  the  early  negotiations  the  French  were  very  specific  in  ordering  that 
the  lines  be  built  between  the  driveway  and  the  rows  of  trees  paralleling  either 
side  of  the  road.  Discussion  on  this  last  point  introduced  to  the  Battalion 
the  then  Captain  Voris,  Signal  Officer  of  the  First  Division,  who  later  became 
Signal  Officer  of  the  First  Army  Corps,  to  which  this  "Battalion  of  Experts," 
as  he  called  it,  was  attached. 

Captain  Voris  was  most  determined  that  it  was  unwise  to  consider  building 
the  Neufchateau  line  between  the  trees  and  the  edge  of  the  road,  because  he 
felt  sure  that  the  road  would  become  a  much  used  military  highway,  and  there 
would  be  constant  danger  of  the  breaking  of  poles  by  the  heavy  traffic.  His 
opinion  prevailed  and  it  was  decided  that  this  main  line  should  be  built  on  the 
field  side  of  the  border  of  trees.  Wherever  it  was  necessary  to  place  any 
poles  on  private  property  the  formal  consent  of  the  property  owners  had  to  be 
obtained  and  the  signed  permission  filed  with  all  other  papers  relating  to  the 
line. 

In  order  to  build  the  line  tools  were  necessary,  but  there  were  few  of  the 
American  variety  to  be  had.  Several  trial  efforts  were  made  to  ascend  poles 
by  the  use  of  French  "climbers."  These  climbers  closely  resembled  the  curved 
section  of  a  crab's  claw,  and  it  was  almost  suicidal  for  a  lineman  to  attempt 
to  walk  when  fitted  out  with  them. 

In  climbing  poles  a  French  lineman  takes  a  very  short  step  and  feels  quite 
secure  because  the  "hook"  with  its  toothed  edges,  attached  to  each  foot,  more 


62 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


French  Lineman 


than  half  encircles  the  pole.  After 
descending  from  the  pole  the  French- 
man removes  his  hooks  and  carries 
them  to  the  next  pole.  The  Ameri- 
can lineman  puts  on  his  "spurs,"  as 
he  calls  them,  when  he  starts  work  in 
the  morning,  and  keeps  them  on  un- 
til he  takes  them  off  at  noon,  or  per- 
haps not  until  evening. 

Some  one  had  smuggled  a  pair  of 
American  spurs  into  France  with  his 
other  property  and,  using  these  as  a 
pattern.  Lieutenant  Meigs  rented  a 
blacksmith  shop  and  set  Sebring  and 
King,  with  Grant,  Urffer  and  Lander 
to  work  making  spurs ;  he  also  com- 
mandeered a  saddle  shop  and,  with 
a  wonderful  display  of  patience,  dem- 
onstrated to  the  woman  in  charge 
how  the  leather  straps  for  these 
home-made  spurs  were  to  be  fashioned.  When  they  were  completed  Lieu- 
tenant Meigs  was  told  by  the  woman  that  he  could  not  take  them  from  the 
shop  until  they  were  paid  for — such  was  the  attitude,  and  not  without  some 
reason,  of  the  French  toward  army  trade.  The  Supply  Officer  had  used  all  of 
his  cash  in  buying  large  stocks  of  shovels,  hatchets  and  other  tools,  but  he 
must  have  these  straps.  After  exhausting  his  French  and  his  patience,  he 
bundled  them  under  his  arm  and  started  down  the  street  followed  by  the 
large,  irate  French  woman,  waving  her  arms  and  protesting  loudly.  When  the 
little  procession  reached  camp,  Meigs  managed  to  raise  the  cash  to  pay  the  bill. 
He  gave  her  the  money  and  patted  her  on  the  back,  and  the  sun  shone  once  more. 

Shovels,  bars,  drills,  and  hammers  were  obtained  from  the  French  after 
scouring  the  country  in  all  directions,  even  including  Paris,  but  the  tools  were 
not  of  the  substantial  type  to  which  the  men  were  accustomed. 

The  Battalion  camp  at  Chaumont  was  the  center  of  interest  each  after- 
noon, and  particularly  on  Sundays,  when  almost  the  entire  French  population 
visited  it.  These  good  French  people  swarmed  through  the  tents,  chattering 
and  asking  innumerable  questions.  They  were  particularly  interested  in  the 
two  mess  tents,  and  would  hang  around  the  camp  until  meals  were  served, 
so  that  they  could  watch  the  food  disappear  and  perhaps  obtain  helpings  of 
beef  stew  and  potatoes,  and  a  small  piece  of  white  bread,  the  like  of  which  they 
had  not  seen  since  the  war  began,  and  which  they  called  gateau.  Some  of  the 
men  of  the  Battalion  saved  their  mending  for  Sundays,  and  when  attractive 


AT   GENERAL    H EADQUARTERS  63 

visitors  (female,  of  course)  wandered  toward  camp,  the  men  appeared  with 
their  "housewives,"  the  gifts  of  the  girls  of  The  Bell  Telephone  Company  of 
Pennsylvania,  and,  after  a  little  laborious  effort,  were  sure  to  have  an  inter- 
ested mademoiselle  finish  the  job  for  them.  This  practice  was  not  so  profitable 
for  Cowan  who,  having  in  this  way  had  new  chevrons  attached  to  his  overcoat 
and  the  coat  returned  neatly  folded,  later  discovered  after  mademoiselle  had 
gone  that  the  buttons  from  the  coat  had  also  disappeared. 

In  the  barracks  adjoining  general  headquarters  French  recruits  of  the  class 
of  191 9  were  being  trained.  Most  of  these  men,  or  rather  boys,  were  then 
nineteen  years  old,  but  mixed  with  them  were  a  few  who  seemed  much  older, 
perhaps  men  who  had  formerly  been  exempt  from  service  or  considered  not 
up  to  the  physical  standard,  but  who  now  in  the  final  combing  out  of  French 
man-power  had  been  called  to  the  colors.  Compared  with  the  splendid  physical 
specimens  in  the  Battalion,  these  very  young  French  recruits,  who  were  in  the 
service  fully  two  years  before  their  time,  seemed  almost  of  a  smaller  race. 

During  this  period  such  a  growth  of  business  developed  from  the  American 
Headquarters  over  the  various  French  lines,  then  the  only  means  of  communi- 
cation, that  the  French  decided  it  would  be  necessary  to  place  an  under- 
ground cable  between  the  American  and  French  exchanges.  Details  of  men 
were  fvirnished  by  the  Telegraph  Battalion  to  dig  the  trench  into  which  this 
cable  would  be  placed.  The  erstwhile  telephone  construction  men,  central 
office  men  and  telegraph  operators  developed  blisters,  sore  backs  and  irritable 
dispositions.  "Squad"  McKinney,  formerly  a  commercial  clerk,  lost  his 
"corporation."  The  telegraphers  in  the  Battalion  recalled  with  a  joyless 
smile  that  advertisement:  "Wanted — 5,000  Telegraphers  for  the  Army." 
But  the  trench  was  soon  completed  and  the  cable  laid,  to  the  horror  of  the 
American  cable  experts,  without  any  conduit,  the  only  protection  being  a  light 
layer  of  sand  and  broken  stones  immediately  around  the  cable  before  the 
trench  was  filled. 

This  job  was  in  charge  of  Sergeant  Dickson,  and  the  men  began  to  appre- 
ciate the  force  of  Lieutenant  Suddath's  familiar  expression,  "The  Army  is  a 
cold  blooded  proposition."  The  trench  led  past  a  house,  in  front  of  which  a 
pretty  mademoiselle  sat  each  day,  making  gloves.  It  seemed  difficult  for  the 
men  to  keep  their  minds  on  the  work  in  the  trench.  They  could  not  make  their 
eyes  behave.  The  hard-hearted  Dickson,  who  was  capable  of  talking  the 
language  of  the  mademoiselle  in  what  might  have  been  called  "pidgin"  Eng- 
lish or  "pidgin"  French,  depending  on  the  native  tongue  of  the  person  listening 
to  him,  explained  to  the  young  woman  that  these  men  in  their  blue  denims 
were  prisoners  of  war  and  very  dangerous  characters.  Thereafter,  misbehav- 
ing eyes  and  coy  glances  had  no  effect  on  the  mademoiselle. 

After  many  trips  by  day  and  conferences  by  night,  the  route  for  the  Neuf- 
chateau  line  was  selected.     The  wire  which  Lieutenant  Repp  borrowed  from 


64 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


On  the  Chaumont-Neufchateau  Line 


the  French,  pending  the  arrival  of  American  suppHes,  was  received.  With  a 
Battahon  of  eager  and  willing  men,  two  small  trucks,  two  motorcycles  and  one 
"flivver,"  the  construction  of  the  line  was  started.  Setting-up  exercises  and 
mess  were  finished  each  morning  before  dawn.  Evening  mess,  after  the  work 
became  well  started,  was  served  in  the  gathering  dusk.  To  deliver  all  of 
the  men  at  their  work,  have  mess  on  hand  at  noon,  and  return  the  men  to 
camp,  to  say  nothing  of  distributing  the  poles  along  the  road  after  obtaining 
them  at  Foulain  (a  town  about  twelve  kilometers  south  of  Chaumont) ,  the 
little  motor  detail  had  its  hands  full.  It  was  kept  constantly  on  the  road 
from  six  in  the  morning  until  long  after  dark.  To  the  motor  mechanics  of 
both  of  the  companies  is  due  great  credit  for  keeping  the  trucks  in  shape  under 
such  heavy  and  constant  use. 

The  line  followed  high  ground  all  the  way  from  Chaumont  to  Neufchateau 
and  almost  all  of  the  holes  had  to  be  dug  through  solid  rock.  The  steel  of  the 
foreign  made  tools  was  soft,  and  as  soon  as  the  shop  forces  had  finished  making 
the  linemen's  spurs  they  were  put  to  work  on  the  never-ending  job  of  sharpening 
digging  bars  and  repairing  shovels. 


AT   GENERAL    H  EADQUA  RTERS 


65 


During  the  training  at  Monmouth  Park,  during  the  days  on  the  water, 
and  until  they  reached  Chaumont,  the  work  was  of  such  a  nature  that  the 
most  calloused  hands  had  become  soft.  In  this  job  of  drilling  rock  holes  with 
soft  steel  bars  when  even  the  old-time  linemen  suffered,  the  central  office  men 
and  telegraphers  developed  tremendous  blisters.  Lord  and  Peterson  were 
sent  to  the  hospital,  where  it  required  over  six  weeks  to  heal  the  abscesses 
on  their  hands.  Incidentally  this  pair  was  so  well  cared  for  in  the  hospital  that 
they  were  loath  to  return  to  camp.     But  that  is  another  story. 

As  dynamite  had  not  yet  been  received  from  America,  it  was  arranged  with 
the  French  engineers  to  use  some  of  their  explosive  called  '  'cheddite. ' '  A  supply 
was  obtained  at  Langres.  The  French  were  extremely  careful  to  warn  the 
Americans  of  its  tremendous  power  and  treachery.  Only  those  most  experi- 
enced in  the  use  of  dynamite  were  taken  for  the  first  trial  and,  after  a  hole 
was  drilled  in  the  rock,  the  charge  placed  and  fuse  lighted,  every  one  retired  a 
comfortable  hundred  yards  to  await  results.  The  "old-timers"  characterized 
the  explosion  as  being  almost  as  powerful  as  that  of  a  small  firecracker,  and 
before  the  day  was  over  holes  were  being  fairly  successfully  blown  with  charges 
ranging  from  four  to  six  times  the  maximum  charge  advised  as  safe  by  the 
French. 

As  soon  as  any  of  the  men  could  be  spared  from  shifting  and  adjusting 
the  constantly  growing  plant  at  General  Headquarters,  they,  too,  were  put 
out  on  the  line,  and  many  were  the  amusing  and  pathetic  comments  of  the 
instrument  men  who  had  never  before  tried  to  dig  holes.  Cavanaugh,  of 
Company  "E,"  was  particularly  outspoken  in  his  aversion  to  the  use  of 
digging  tools,  although  he  worked  along  cheerfully  and  steadily.  Two  years 
before,  Cavanaugh  had  been  a  candidate  for  Congress  on  an  eight-hour  day 
platform,  and  his  views  of  working  days  of  twelve  and  fourteen  hours >  rain 
or  shine,  on  rock  holes,  were  interesting  but  not  printable.     Hannam,  of 


The  Camp  at  Liffol  le  Grande 


Interpreter  Thevelin 


66 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Company  "D,"  whose  telephone  experience  had  consisted  largely  of  installing 
telephones  and  working  in  central  offices,  did  not  appreciate  at  all  his  intro- 
duction to  the  "steel  pencil." 

In  order  to  make  the  greatest  possible  speed,  work  had  been  started  on 
a  section  of  the  line,  the  route  for  which  seemed  open  to  little  question.  The 
sections  upon  which  the  engineering  was  more  difficult  were  held  until  later. 
As  the  work  progressed  and  it  became  almost  impossible  for  the  three  trucks 
to  meet  all  of  the  demands  for  transportation.  Company  "D"  was  moved  to 
a  field  near  Liffol  le  Grande,  and  worked  on  the  upper  part  of  the  line. 

Tents  were  pitched  under  the  trees  along  the  highway  in  what  had  been 
a  wheat  field.  When  the  rains  started,  the  camp  became  a  sea  of  mud.  But 
"D"  Company  enjoyed  life  at  Liffol,  and,  under  the  cheerful  influence  of 
Captain  Wattles  and  Lieutenant  Lawrence,  developed  into  an  extremely 
smooth- working  and  happy  family.  With  the  limited  number  of  trucks,  the 
supply  of  rations  sometimes  ran  low.  Farrington,  in  an  effort  to  keep  down 
comment  in  the  "bread  line,"  sallied  forth  occasionally  with  Dailey  and 
Tomlinson,  to  raid  neighboring  potato  patches. 

To  facilitate  the  delivery  of  poles.  Lieutenant  Glaspey  had  arranged  to 
have  them  shipped  to  a  number  of  stations  along  the  route.  It  required  con- 
stant watchfulness  to  learn  of  their  arrival,  and  a  great  deal  of  following  up 
to  hurry  the  shipments.  Here  it  was  realized  for  the  first  time  that  there 
were  a  large  number  of  towns  bearing  almost  the  same  names,  and  one  must 
be  careful  always  to  use  the  whole  name.  One  large  shipment  of  poles  had 
been  ordered  to  Vesaignes,  Glaspey  having  in  mind  Vesaignes-sous-Lafauche. 
After  the  orderly  progress  of 
the  work  had  been  held  for 
several  days,  it  was  discov- 
ered that  these  poles  had 
been  sent  to  the  unqualified 
Vesaignes— many  kilometers 
to  the  south. 

On  the  trip  from  St.  Na- 
zaire,  the  truck  train  was 
directed  by  an  interpreter, 
Edouard  Thevelin,  who  re- 
mained attached  to  the  Bat- 
talion. Another  interpreter 
who  had  accompanied  the 
Battalion  on  its  trip  by  railroad,  returned  to  the  seaport  town  after  he  had 
delivered  his  charges  at  Chaumont.  Thevelin  early  became  very  popular.  He 
was  especially  helpful  to  the  Supply  Officer  in  arranging  for  the  various 
workshops  and  in  the  purchase  of  axes,   hammers,  pliers  and  other  tools. 


Camouflage 


AT   GENERAL    H E A B QU A RT E R S 


67 


Village  of  Prez 


"Dad"  Murdaugh 


When  Company  "D"  moved  to  LiflFol  le  Grande,  Thevelin  accompanied  this 
unit  to  help  with  the  rights-of-way  work  on  the  upper  section  of  the  Hne,  and 
all  of  the  negotiations  by  Company  "E"  were  carried  on  in  the  near-French 
of  the  Battalion  officers  and  noncoms. 

General  Headquarters  was  fearful  of  German  observation  from  the  air, 
and  constantly  warned  all  troops  near  Chatmiont  to  keep  under  cover  as 
much  as  possible.  At  night  but  a  single  ffickering  gas  light  was  permitted  in 
the  town.  This  was  dubbed  the  "Gay  White  Way."  It  was  necessary  to 
camouflage  all  tents  or  canvas  which  could  not  be  concealed  under  the  trees. 
This  made  the  camp  look  far  more  war-like.  "D"  Company's  camp,  being 
almost  fifty  kilometers  nearer  the  front,  also  had  its  tents  decorated. 

Constant  work  in  the  open  air,  although  the  weather  was  frequently  un- 
pleasant, kept  most  of  the  men  in  splendid  physical  shape.  There  were, 
however,  a  few  cases  for  the  hospital.  Pemberton,  who  had  for  a  long 
time  had  a  bothersome  knee,  became  so  crippled  with  rheumatism  that  he 
could  do  nothing  but  hobble  around  close  to  camp,  and  collect  souvenirs 
from  the  French  soldiers  in  the  nearby  barracks.  When  Company  "D" 
moved  to  Liffol,  "Pern"  was  dispatched  to  a  hospital,  and  his  various  shifts 
took  him  on  a  tour  of  France.  The  first  accident  case  occurred  when  Buehler, 
on  a  motorcycle,  attempted  to  turn  out  for  a  French  artillery  column,  which 
occupied  much  of  the  road,  and  collided  with  a  tree.  "Marty"  spent  several 
weeks  after  that  at  the  Bazoilles  Hospital.  Another  hospital  patient  was 
Haislop.  This  big  lineman  developed  a  pain  in  his  back  which  Lieutenant 
Hasskarl  proceeded  to  "cure"  with  a  French  plaster.  Walter  spent  two 
weeks  in  the  hospital  while  new  skin  replaced  the  blisters  and  upon  the 
day  of  his  return  to  work,  as  he  himself  puts  it,  "A  'rookie'  let  a  pike  slip 
out  of  a  pole  and  hit  me  on  the  head."  That  time  the  hospital  sentence  was 
"eight  stitches,  eight  days."    Then,  too,  there  was  a  little  scare  of  measles 


68 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


in  the  camp  at  Liffol,  and  Althouse  was  ostracized  with  "Silent"  Bigham, 
in  a  "pup"  tent  some  distance  from  the  camp. 

Despite    the    consistent    good    health    of    the    organization,    Lieutenant 
Macfarlan  collected  a  large  assortment  of  medical  supplies  and  had  them 


Some  "E"  Men 


Some  from  "D" 


professionally  arranged  in  a  tent.  This  tent  was  one  of  the  centers  of  interest 
for  the  natives.  The  doctor,  having  a  good  knowledge  of  French  and  being 
of  a  sociable  turn,  made  many  new  friends,  frequently  spending  his  unoccupied 
hours  in  their  society.  One  of  the  Frenchmen  presented  the  doctor  with 
a  puppy,  said  to  be  a  "Tunisian  Bee  Hound."  This  dog  was  given  the  name 
"joffre,"  and  became  the  arch  nuisance  of  the  camp. 

The  Neufchateau  line  continued  to  grow,  and,  in  order  further  to  speed 
its  completion,  a  large  detail  from  Company  "E"  was  moved  to  Rimacourt 
with  Lieutenant  Suddath.  From  this  point  they  worked  early  and  late. 
The  line  followed  the  main  highway,  avoiding  some  towns  through  which 
the  road  made  too  many  bends,  and,  in  others,  following  straight  through  the 
main  street.  At  Prez,  one  of  the  latter  towns,  Murdaugh  tried  his  French 
on  the  village  authorities  and  learned  that  there  was  a  water  main  on  the 
east  side  of  the  highway.  "Dad"  therefore  selected  the  west  side  for  the 
pole  line,  and  in  digging  the  first  hole  succeeded  in  puncturing  the  water 
pipe.  Being  a  master  of  all  trades,  Murdaugh  set  to  work  to  repair  the  pipe, 
and  the  result  of  his  effort  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  villagers. 

Before  building  the  line  into  Neufchateau,  many  routes  were  studied.  The 
one  finally  selected  crossed  two  meadows  which  were  traversed  by  an  innocent 
looking  little  stream  called  the  Mouzon,  one  of  the  smaller  branches  of  the 
River  Meuse.  The  Mayor  of  Neufchateau  stated  that  this  stream  became 
very  much  larger  in  the  spring.  The  route  selected,  however,  seemed  the 
most  practical  considering  the  limited  materials  available  and  the  pole  line 
was  believed  to  be  far  enough  from  the  banks  of  the  stream  to  be  entirely 
safe.  This  probably  was  the  poorest  decision  along  the  route,  in  view  of 
developments  the  following  January. 


AT    GENERAL    H EADQUARTERS  69 

While  the  Neuf chateau  line  was  being  pushed  with  all  possible  speed, 
there  were  other  activities  which  could  not  be  neglected.  Frequent  changes 
and  additions  were  required  at  General  Headquarters,  requiring  the  constant 
services  of  several  men,  as  did  the  actual  operation  of  the  telephone  and 
telegraph  offices.  Colonel  Russell,  who  had  investigated  certain  of  the  means 
of  communication  used  by  the  British,  determined  upon  the  establishment 
of  a  Motor  Dispatch  Service,  and  the  first  service  between  Chaumont,  Neuf- 
chateau  and  Gondrecourt  was  placed  in  charge  of  Corporal  Graber,  of  Com- 
pany "E,"  as  chief  machinist  and  supervisor,  and  was  manned  by  Heisler  and 
Koser,  of  Company  "D,"  and  Giles  and  Geib,  of  Company  "E."  The  first 
machines  furnished  were  of  British  make — "Triumph,"  and  were  successfully 
operated  until  a  supply  of  American  machines  arrived.  On  one  of  the  trips, 
Koser  with  his  car  ran  off  the  road  to  avoid  hitting  a  herd  of  cows  and  became 
stuck  in  the  mire  of  a  plowed  field.  Fullerton  came  along  with  a  truck  and 
pulled  Koser  back  on  the  road.  This  was  called  "Koser's  First  Citation" — 
Fullerton  "cited"  him  in  the  mud.  Throughout  the  autumn  and  bitter  winter 
of  191 7  these  men  continued  in  the  Motor  Dispatch  Service,  never  failing  to 
deliver  a  single  message.  They  returned  to  the  Battalion  when  it  was  assigned 
to  the  First  Army  Corps  in  February.  Graber,  however,  had  made  himself  so 
valuable  to  the  Motor  Dispatch  organization  by  the  care  which  he  gave  the 
machines  that  he  was  permanently  assigned  to  General  Headquarters.  The 
Motor  Dispatch  Service  grew  until  several  hundred  routes  were  established 
all  over  the  war  area. 

After  a  burst  of  hard  and  strenuous  work,  which  permitted  no  slowing 
up  on  account  of  bad  weather,  the  first  trunk  line  of  approximately  fourteen 
hundred  sections  was  completed  on  September  twenty-seventh.  Shortly 
afterward,  the  line  which  the  Second  Field  Battalion  of  the  First  Division 
had  constructed  between  Neufchateau  and  the  headquarters  of  the  Division 
at  Gondrecourt  was  connected  to  the  Chaumont-Neufchateau  line,  and 
became  the  first  American  trunk  between  General  Headquarters  and  the 
training  headquarters  of  a  Division. 


Chapter  VIII 


Hard  Work  and  Some  Diversion 


OTH  Lieutenants  Repp  and  Glaspey,  on  being  made  Captains,  were 
transferred  permanently  to  General  Headquarters  at  this  time.  This 
fact,  together  with  the  experience  gained  during  these  first  days  in 
France,  made  certain  changes  in  the  officer  personnel  advisable.  Lieutenant 
Meigs  was  made  Adjutant,  in  place  of  Lieutenant  Griest,  who  was  transferred 
to  Company  "E."  Lieutenant  Suddath  became  Supply  Officer,  and  Lieutenant 
Lawrence  was  transferred  to  Company  "E."  Lieutenant  Foust,  newb- 
promoted,  was  assigned  to  Company  "D." 
The  following  gives  the  new  arrangement: 

Major  James  W.  Hubbell — Commanding 

Headquarters  Supply 

1st  Lieut.  F.  P.  Meigs  ist  Lieut.  L.  N.  Suddath 

Adjutant  Supply  Officer 

Medical 

1st  Lieut.  Douglas  Macfarlan 

Medical  Officer 

Company  "D"  Company  "E" 

Capt.  W.  P.  Wattles  Capt.  W.  F.  Gauss 

1st  Lieut.  L.  R.  Foust  ist  Lieut.  T.  H.  Griest 

1st  Lieut.  C.  V.  Lawrence 

70 


HARD    IVORK    AND    SOME    DIVERSION 


71 


At  the  start,  when  the  signal  work  was  apportioned  between  the  First 
and  Second  Reserve  BattaHons,  the  First  Battalion  was  charged  with  the 
installation  of  the  telephone  equipment  and  power  plant  at  General  Head- 
quarters, and  the  construction  of  the  trunk  line  from  Chaumont  to  Neuf- 
chateau.  The  Second  Battalion  was  assigned  the  installation  work  for  the 
artillery  camp  at  Valdahon  and  the  construction  of  the  trunk  line  from  Dijon 
to  Chaumont.  There  was  keen  rivalry  between  these  New  York  and  Penn- 
sylvania Battalions  concerning  the  speed  with  which  the  work  would  be  done. 
Major  Shearer,  of  the  Second,  laid  a  wager  with  Major  Hubbell  that  the 
trunk  line  from  Dijon  would  be  completed  before  the  First  Battalion  reached 
Neufchateau.  The  penalty,  considered  by  Major  Shearer  as  particularly 
appropriate  for  a  Philadelphian,  was  to  be  a  snail  dinner.  The  First  Battalion 
not  only  completed  the  Neufchateau  trunk 
and  the  Chaumont  switchboard  installation, 
but  Company  "E"  started  to  build  toward 
Dijon  and  met  the  Second  Battalion  some 
twenty-five  kilometers  south  of  Chaumont. 
The  snail  dinner  which  was  thus  won  by  the 
First  Bal  talion  has  not  yet  been  given. 

In  the  meantime.  Company  "D"  began 
wiring  various  training  areas,  preparatory 
to  the  arrival  of  American  Divisions.  The 
Twenty-sixth,  later  known  as  the  "Yankee" 
Division,  was  assigned  to  the  Neufchateau 
training  area,  and  there,  too,  was  to  be  estab- 
lished the  headquarters  of  the  Divisional 
Areas  organization.  Company  "D"  dis- 
patched details  which  began  the  installation 
of  two  forty-line   switchboards   with   their 

necessary  telephones,  and  strung  wires  to  different  nearby  towns  in  which 
Brigade,  Regimental  and  Battalion  Headquarters  were  located.  At  the  same 
time,  Sergeant  Lutz  took  a  detail  to  Bazoilles  to  install  a  switchboard  with  a 
number  of  stations  in  the  hospital  being  established  there  by  the  Johns  Hop- 
kins unit.  This  was  the  first  American  hospital  in  France  to  have  a  com- 
plete telephone  system.  Moreover,  this  system  was  connected  by  American 
circuits  to  the  American  board  at  Neufchateau. 

While  Company  "E"  was  still  working  on  the  Dijon  trunk  line,  Com- 
pany "D"  was  made  responsible  for  "Divisional  Areas"  work.  The  first 
area,  with  Gondrecourt  as  a  center,  had  been  wired  by  a  Field  Battalion 
from  the  First  Division,  but  it  was  expected  that  many  of  the  other  areas 
would  be  cared  for  by  Company  "D"  of  the  Telegraph  Battalion.  The  field 
at  LiflFol  which  had  been  its  home  for  some  time  had  become  a  very  un- 


The  Barracks  at  Neufchateau 


72 


THE    FIRST    BATTALION 


1 — After  Right  of  Way       2 — The  Camp      3— Some  of  the  Men      4— The  Mayor 

AT     LUZ Y 

pleasant  habitation  due  to  rains,  and  further,  this  camp  was  far  from  the 
center  of  the  new  activities.  So  Captain  Wattles  moved  his  men  into  wooden 
barracks  at  Neufchateau.  Surveys  were  made,  plans  outlined,  and  material 
ordered  so  that  the  various  areas  might  be  wired  in  time  to  receive  the 
troops  according  to  schedule. 

As  soon  as  the  Neufchateau  area  had  been  satisfactorily  covered,  a  detach- 
ment was  ordered  to  Bourmont  to  wire  the  area  for  the  Second  Division, 
which  included  the  brigade  of  Marines,  destined  to  become  famous  the  follow- 
ing summer.  Electrician  Brittain  took  charge  of  this  job  with  a  platoon. 
Hannam  and  Craigmile  installed  the  switchboard  in  the  Hotel  de  Ville  (City 
Hall) ,  while  the  construction  men  ran  numerous  lines  in  the  town  and  to  out- 
lying points.  One  of  the  first  jobs  was  a  pole  line  with  ten  wires,  from  the 
top  of  the  high  hill  on  which  Bourmont  is  located,  down  to  a  railroad  and 
thence  to  Neufchateau  on  the  poles  along  the  railroad.  Billets  were  at  a 
premium,  and  these  men,  who  had  just  left  a  new,  wood-floored  barracks  at 
Neufchateau,  were  required  to  clean  out  a  stable  on  the  grounds  of  a  chateau. 


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THE    TERRITORY    AROUND    CHAUMONT    AND    TOUL 


74  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

One  of  the  sections  was  assigned  to  the  hayloft,  and  the  other  to  the  first 
floor.  On  the  first  evening,  Gardiner  and  Ricciardi  furnished  entertainment 
with  their  mandoHns,  on  the  ground  floor,  and  Graham  was  singing  to  his 
audience  in  the  loft,  when  suddenly  there  was  a  crash — the  "hayloft  tenor" 
had  stepped  upon  a  loose  board  and,  coming  through  the  floor,  landed  heavily 
in  the  midst  of  the  audience  below. 

Company  "E"  was  divided  in  two  parts  during  the  construction  of  the 
Dijon  line  south  from  Chaumont  toward  Langres.  Half  of  the  Company 
remained  with  Captain  Gauss  at  Chaumont ;  the  other  half,  being  the  platoon 
which  had  been  stationed  at  Rimacourt  while  building  the  Neuf chateau  line, 
was  to  select  a  camp  site  to  the  south,  near  the  other  end  of  the  job.  Various 
places  were  examined,  and  a  high  field  near  Luzy  was  chosen  as  being  best 
adapted  for  the  camp.  Before  taking  any  liberties  with  this  field.  Major 
Hubbell,  with  Captain  Gauss  and  Lieutenant  Griest  and  Interpreter  Thevelin 
interviewed  the  Mayor  of  Luzy.  The  old  gentleman  shuffled  out  with  his 
large  wooden  sabots  to  his  door-yard  gate,  and  ushered  the  Americans  into  his 
little  study.  After  learning  their  mission,  he  decided  he  would  go  with  them 
to  interview  the  owner  of  the  field.  His  wife,  apparently  the  head  of  the 
house,  went  along,  possibly  because  it  was  the  first  opportunity  she  had  ever 
had  to  ride  in  an  automobile.  The  desired  permission  was  obtained,  and 
a  few  days  later  the  platoon  under  Lieutenant  Griest  took  possession. 

The  construction  of  the  line  from  Chaumont  to  Neufchateau  had  taught 
the  lesson  that  it  was  not  always  best  to  stick  too  close  to  the  roads,  and 
that  possibly  too  much  attention  had  been  paid  to  the  desirability  of  keeping 
all  poles  off  private  property.  Consequently,  south  of  Chaumont,  the  most 
direct  line  was  laid  out,  and  deviations  from  this  direct  route  were  made 
only  where  absolutely  necessary.  On  one  short  stretch  the  road  was  so 
crooked  that  to  keep  to  the  highway  would  have  necessitated  fourteen 
"comers"  or  turns,  each  with  its  guy  wires  to  withstand  the  strain.  The 
shorter  route  was  adopted,  although  at  times  it  kept  the  line  far  from  the 
road.  This  route  led  through  a  large  woods.  To  indicate  the  cooperation 
of  the  French,  it  should  be  mentioned  that  Lieutenant  Repp  obtained  per- 
mission from  the  Paris  owner  to  cut  a  path  thirty  feet  wide  through  these 
woods  so  as  to  give  the  line  proper  clearance. 

The  towns  people  of  Luzy  previous  to  this  time  had  seen  no  American  troops, 
and  they  were  much  interested  in  the  little  tent  camp  on  the  hill.  On  Sun- 
days they  swarmed  through  the  tents,  often  under  the  leadership  of  the  Mayor, 
who  had  adopted  the  platoon  as  his  own.  One  of  the  most  frequent  visitors, 
a  man  of  mixed  French  and  Italian  blood,  cut  the  heavy  growth  of  clover 
around  the  tents,  and  while  not  attending  to  his  duties  in  the  lock  house  at  the 
canal  supplied  the  tents  with  flowers  and  the  soup  pot  with  savory  vegetables — 
his  method  of  showing  his  appreciation  of  American  participation  in  the  war. 


4 


HARD    WORK    AND    SOME    DIVERSION 


75 


General  Pershing 


At  this  time  a  small  shipment  of 
American  tools  arrived,  and  there 
was  keen  rivalry  to  obtain  the  famil- 
iar shovels,  spoons  and  bars.  There 
were  few  new  construction  prob- 
lems along  this  line,  and  the  men 
tackled  it  with  such  good  will,  that 
one  after  another  the  various  goals 
which  had  been  selected  as  the  prob- 
able junction  point  with  the  Second 
Battalion  were  reached  and  passed. 
So  rapidly  did  the  work  progress 
that  it  was  a  hard  matter  for  the 
survey  detail  to  keep  the  work 
mapped  out  ahead  of  the  construc- 
tion parties.  Hutchinson,  with 
Barto  and  Shinfessel,  held  forth  in 
the  pole  yard  at  Foulain,  and  by 
dint  of  hard  work,  kept  Cavanaugh 
busy  with  his  delivery  detail.  Dan- 
ley's  crowd,  who  were  digging  the  holes,  turned  out  the  earth  in  rapid  style ; 
only  by  so  doing  could  they  keep  ahead  of  Davis  and  his  pole-setters. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill,  near  the  little  camp  at  Luzy,  there  was  a  cafe, 
and  the  men  divided  their  evenings  between  this  center  of  amusement  and 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  tent.  The  little  cafe  was  like  a  dungeon,  having  a  stone 
floor,  the  only  light  entering  through  the  front  door.  At  the  rear  was  the 
entrance  to  the  wine  cellar,  under  the  hill.  The  walls  presented  a  kaleido- 
scopic effect,  some  parts  covered  with  plaster  but  more  places  where  it  had 
fallen  away,  leaving  the  stone  bare.  Madame,  a  cheerful  matron,  cut  bread 
for  her  many  guests  by  holding  the  loaf  against  her  doubtfully-clean  black 
waist  and  cutting  toward  her  (no  thought  of  "  safety -first ") ,  chatting  pleasantly 
during  the  operation.  Frequently  the  evening  crowd  in  the  cafe  was  joined 
by  Edmond  Jacques,  the  crippled  son  of  the  Mayor,  who  shared  his  father's 
interest  in  the  Americans. 

The  weather  for  the  first  week  in  October  was  delightful.  In  the  morn- 
ing, assemblies  and  setting-up  exercises  were  held  by  moonlight,  without  the 
aid  of  artificial  light.  Later  in  the  month,  however,  the  rain  descended 
once  more  and  the  clover  field  at  Luzy  became  a  quagmire.  Despite  the 
weather,  the  men  continued  at  a  fast  clip  and  the  line  grew  steadily  toward 
the  south. 

After  one  particularly  cold,  wet  day,  all  of  the  officers  of  the  Battalion 
received  orders  from  the  Major,  directing  them  to  come  to  Chaumont  at 


76 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Brigadier-General  Russell 


once.  The  occasion  of  the  call  was 
the  reception  in  General  Pershing's 
chateau,  in  honor  of  his  having  been 
made  a  full  General — the  first  to  at- 
tain the  rank  since  General  Grant. 
At  the  same  time,  Colonel  Russell 
had  been  made  a  Brigadier-General. 
Generals  and  Colonels  were  far  more 
numerous  at  the  reception  than  Cap- 
tains and  Lieutenants.  The  Bat- 
talion officers,  however,  took  advan- 
tage of  the  opportunity  to  meet  the 
Commander-in-Chief  and  his  Staff. 

More  motor  equipment  had  begun 
to  reach  France.  Frequently,  details 
from  the  Battalion  were  sent  to  the 
coast,  and,  after  assembling  the 
machines,  drove  them  back  to  Chau- 
mont  for  distribution  among  Signal  Corps  outfits.  From  time  to  time,  also, 
vehicles  were  purchased  in  Paris,  and  lucky  were  the  men  detailed  to  care 
for  their  delivery  to  headquarters,  for  they  were  always  assured  of  two  or 
three  days  for  sight-seeing  in  "Gay  Paree." 

Probably  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  these  motor  trips  was  that  of 
a  detail  of  twenty-eight  men  from  the  Battalion  who  set  out,  under  Elec- 
trician Conwell,  for  St.  Nazaire,  stopping  for  a  short  time  at  Paris.  After 
two  weeks  at  the  port,  assembling  cars  and  trucks,  they  started  across  France 
with  Lieutenant  Christman  and  some  Second  Battalion  drivers.  There  were 
fifty-two  trucks  and  several  passenger  cars  in  the  column.  The  trip  led  through 
Nantes,  Angers,  Tours,  Nevers  to  Dijon,  passing  the  great  wine  country, 
along  the  famous  dike  of  the  Loire,  and  the  cliff-dwellers  near  Tours.  As  the 
trucks  proceeded  the  men  were  greeted  in  each  city,  town  and  village  with 
cheers  and  hand-shakes  and  flowers.  No  matter  where  the  trucks  stopped 
for  the  night,  the  towns-people  invited  all  of  the  soldiers  to  dinner.  At 
Dijon  this  long  train  was  split,  half  the  trucks  proceeding  to  the  First  Bat- 
talion at  Chaumont.  The  truck  problem,  which  had  been  a  very  serious  one 
at  times,  was  solved. 

Work  under  high  pressure  and  the  maintenance  of  good  health  required, 
among  other  conditions,  satisfactory  mess.  Any  one  who  has  listened  to  the 
comment  in  a  mess  ine  realizes  that  the  job  of  Mess  Sergeant  is  not  a  bed 
of  roses.     "When  do  we  eat?"  has  a  foreboding  sound.     As  the  I'ne  begins 

to  move,   Bill  Smith  growls,   "What!   those   d carrots  again   today?" 

Forwood  comes  along,   "Oh,   no,   you   can't   camouflage  corned  beef  with 


HARD    WORK    AND    SOME    DIVERSION 


11 


There  Were].No_Dish  Washing  Machines 


tomatoes  and  spuds  and  try 
to  tell  me  it's  fresh  beef." 
And  from  Lutz,  "I  don't 
want  that  soup,  it's  got 
onions  in  it."  Such  com- 
ments as  these  became  too 
much  for  Farrington,  and  he 
persuaded  Captain  Wattles 
to  allow  him  to  dig  holes, 
while  Dailey  and  Tomlinson 
stuck  to  the  job  of  furnishing 
"D"  Company's  food.  Gos- 
ser   in  "E"  spent   much   of 

his  time  in  various  provision  stores  in  Chaumont,  until^the  knowledge  of 
French  which  he  thus  acquired  obtained  for  him  a  commission  in  the  Adju- 
tant-General's Department,  and  Vance  became  the  boss  of  "E"  Company's 
mess. 

With  each  extension  of  the  A.  E.  F.  organization  in  the  vicinity  of  Chau- 
mont, the  First  Battalion,  being  the  Headquarters  Battalion,  was  called  upon 
for  more  facilities.  Such  an  occasion  arose  when  it  was  decided  to  open  an 
Army  Staff  College  and  Training  School  at  Langres.  Captain  Gauss  went 
down  to  this  delightful  old  walled  town  and,  after  interviewing  various 
generals,  obtained  enough  information  to  enable  him  the  following  day  to 
send  Sergeant  Lowe  with  a  detail  of  men  to  install  switchboards,  and  to 
wire  up  the  barracks  which  were  to  be  occupied  as  the  headquarters. 

The  city  of  Langres  was  under  strict  military  discipline,  and  Gallo  of 
"E"  Company  was  left  there  with  MacRonald  of  "D"  to  operate  the 
switchboard.  Air  alarms  kept  their  hands  full.  It  was  Gallo's  duty  on  such 
occasions  to  call  up  different  officers  to  have  them  put  out  all  lights.  At 
one  time  an  officer  resented  the  instructions. 

"Who  are  you?"  he  demanded. 

"This  is  the  Chief  Operator.  I  am  instructed  to  have  that  light  put  out," 
said- Gallo. 

"Well,  who  in  h gave  you  those  instructions?"  from  the  officer. 

"The  Commanding  General,  sir.  Just  a  moment,  I  will  connect  you  with 
him." 

"No,  no,  never  mind,  I'll  put  the  d light  out,"  and  up  went  the 

receiver.  Resourcefulness  was  one  of  the  main  qualities  required  of  an 
operator.  Later  the  same  man,  Gallo,  was  commended  by  the  Chief  Signal 
Officer  for  this  trait  during  a  German  raid  while  at  his  post  in  a  Radio 
Intelligence  dugout. 


78 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Bourmont 


"Bill"  Brittain's  crowd 
was  still  working  in  the 
Bourmont  area,  and  one 
morning  as  the  men  were 
lined  up  for  reveille  Zep- 
pelins were  sighted  over- 
head. Later  in  the  day 
several  of  the  officers  were 
in  Langres  to  confer  with 
the  Second  Battalion  offi- 
cers and  heard  of  the 
capture  of  the  Zeppelins. 
Noting  that  one  had  come  down  at  not  a  great  distance  away,  they  took  the 
opportunity  to  see  it. 

The  impression  gained  from  the  sight  of  the  Zeppelin  was  such  that  the 
entire  Battalion  was  given  a  holiday  so  that  all  could  see  it.  The  men  had 
been  working  hard,  and  eagerly  seized  the  opportunity  for  this  little  excur- 
sion. The  following  day,  October  twenty-third,  both  companies  set  out  in 
trucks.  Approaching  the  town,  they  encountered  travelers  afoot,  on  bicycles, 
in  carts,  in  automobiles,  all  going  in  the  same  direction.  All  France  seemed 
to  be  out  to  see  the  sight.  Through  Bourbonne  les  Bains,  where  the  smell 
of  acetylene  became  very  pronounced,  they  went,  and  up  a  little  valley. 

All  had  thought  of  Zeppelins  as  being 
rather  large — but  this  was  a  knockout. 
The  stern  was  on  a  little  hill  and  the 
structure  spanned  the  valley  and  crossed 
a  stream.  There  were  four  little  pend- 
ants which  seemed  to  be  steering  com- 
partments or  perhaps  cabins,  the  main 
carriage  having  been  taken  away  as 
soon  as  the  Germans  were  made  prison- 
ers. The  smell  of  acetylene  was  very 
strong.  French  engineers  were  working 
on  the  Zeppelin,  climbing  over  it  with 
their  ropes  and  ladders.  It  was  very 
much  like  a  tableau  of  Gulliver  and  the 
Lilliputians.  The  souvenir  hunters  had 
a  busy  time.  The  French  guards  kept 
every  one  away  from  the  machine  except 
French  officers ;  but,  for  a  slight  consider- 
ation, they  produced  almost  any  kind 

"Gulliver  and  the  Lilliputians"  of  SOUVenir. 


HARD    WORK    AND    SOME    DIVERSION 


79 


Above — Co.  "E"  Quarters        Below — Battalion  Headquarters 
AT     MARNAY 


From  the  first,  the  army  officers  at  Headquarters  had  been  most  anxious 
that  another  location  be  obtained  for  the  Signal  Battalion  camp.  It  was 
necessary  to  keep  this  place  as  inconspicuous  as  possible,  and  therefore  the 
presence  of  any  great  number  of  troops  was  undesirable.  Although  the  tents 
were  concealed  under  the  trees,  or  camouflaged  in  fantastic  designs,  still  it 
seemed  desirable  that  the  Battalion,  on  account  of  its  activity  with  trucks 
and  supplies,  should  seek  other  quarters.  The  weather  had  become  extremely 
inclement,  and  sleeping  in  the  tents  in  the  middle  of  muddy  fields  and  along 
shaded  boulevards  was  anything  but  pleasant.  About  the  last  week  in 
October,  quarters  were  obtained  in  the  town  of  Marnay,  and  the  Battalion 
Headquarters  and  most  of  Company  "E"  moved  to  that  town.  A  part  of 
"E"  Company  remained  at  Chaumont  to  continue  minor  installations  around 
General  Headquarters  and  to  take  care  of  the  maintenance  work,  and  also 
to  build  a  line  from  Chaumont  to  Jonchery  for  the  Fifteenth  Engineers. 
This  latter,  it  should  be  noted,  was  the  beginning  of  the  main  telephone  line 
from  Chaumont  to  Paris.     Collins,  with  a  few  "E"  Company  men  and  a 


8o 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


CoUins  and  His  Detail 


detail  of  Engineer  troops,  did  a  job  of  which 
they  could  well  be  proud.  By  a  coincidence, 
the  Fifteenth  Engineers  were  a  Pittsburgh 
outfit  and  the  building  of  this  line  was  like 
an  "Old  Home  Week"  for  the  boys  of  Com- 
pany "E." 

At  Marnay,  Lieutenant  Macfarlan  found 
himself  in  demand  to  meet  the  ailments  both 
real  and  imaginary  of  the  civil  population. 
It  was  reported  that,  in  addition  to  the 
thanks  which  he  earned,  the  doctor  was 
rewarded  for  his  skillful  professional  services 
by  having  six  French  infants  named  for 
him.  He  did  a  lot  of  splendid  work  among 
these  poor  people  who,  on  account  of  the 
war,  had  been  without  a  village  doctor  for 
many  months. 

The  "Little  Captain,"  as  Wattles  was 
affectionately  called,  was  running  Signal 
affairs  around  Neufchateau  so  smoothly  that  few  outside  of  "D"  Com- 
pany's happy  family  knew  what  was  being  accomplished.  The  line  run- 
ning south  from  Neufchateau  developed  quickly  into  the  heaviest  lead 
which  had  been  built.  In  addition  to  the  Chaumont  trunk,  it  carried  the 
trunk  to  Gondrecourt  and  the  trunks  leading  south  toward  the  Second 
Division  Headquarters  at  Bourmont. 

On  October  twenty-eighth  the  Chaumont-Langres  line  was  completed, 
the  union  with  the  work  of  the  Second  Battalion  having  been  made  a  short 
distance  north  of  Humes.  The  men  had  worked  steadily  and  cheerfully, 
sometimes  through  long  spells  of  anything  but  cheerful  weather.  For  diver- 
sion, entertainments  were  arranged  for  Hallowe'en.  At  Neufchateau,  Com- 
pany "D"  arranged  for  a  regular  old-fashioned  party  in  their  comfortable 
barracks.  Most  of  the  entertainment  consisted  of  music,  and  Banholzer  with 
his  mouth  organ  made  a  hit.  Second  to  "Banzy"  was  the  kitchen  quartet, 
led  by  the  mess  sergeant.  During  the  entertainment  there  was  a  generous 
distribution  of  apples,  raisins  and  nuts.    It  was  a  right  merry  party. 

Battalion  Headquarters  and  Company  "E"  appointed  Bradford  and 
Hackett  as  a  committee  to  arrange  for  a  place  for  their  entertainment.  At 
first  the  Mayor  of  Marnay  was  consulted,  but  the  town  hall  was  small  and 
the  Mayor  gathered  the  impression  that  he  was  to  be  called  upon  for  a  speech. 
This  was  not  on  the  program  so  the  committee  sought  quarters  elsewhere, 
determining  finally  upon  the  little  Inn  at  Foulain.  By  the  use  of  trucks, 
the  various  groups  were  collected  from  Chaumont  and  Marnay  and  brought 


HARD    PFORK    AND    SOME    DIVERSION 


Building  the  Line  Toward  Langres 

to  the  Inn  through  the  clear,  cold,  moonlit  night.  In  the  dimly  lighted 
dining  room  of  the  Inn  there  was  an  old  piano  and,  despite  the  fact  that 
there  were  several  keys  missing  and  the  instrument  was  decidedly  out  of 
tune,  it  furnished  a  great  deal  of  entertainment.  The  famous  Antilles 
quartet  again  was  in  evidence.  Smith  and  At  wood,  two  of  the  telegraph 
operators,  brought  down  the  crowd  with  a  Jewish  comedy.  The  roars  of 
laughter  soon  attracted  a  number  of  French  soldiers  who  joined  in  the  merri- 
ment. There  was  boxing  which  produced  several  black  eyes.  Late  that  night 
the  trucks  carried  a  crowd  of  happy  men  back  to  their  quarters. 


Chapter  IX 


Thanksg'ivi 


'giving 


THE  novelty  of  service  in  a  foreign  land  gradually  had  worn  off. 
Hours  had  been  long,  and  the  work  hard.  Nor  was  there  the  excite- 
ment of  booming  guns  and  dropping  shells  to  stimulate  the  interest. 
The  camp  life  far  from  home  and  friends,  and  the  pressure  under  which 
each  assignment  was  rushed  through,  did  not  tend  to  lighten  the  labors. 
The  excursion  to  the  fallen  Zeppelin  had  been  planned  so  that  the  men 
might  see  and  feel  the  closeness  of  the  conflict.  It  gave  them  a  realization 
that  somewhere,  not  far  away,  bullets  were  flying  and  men  were  dying  in 
the  cause  which  brought  the  Battalion  to  France. 

A  couple  of  days'  rest  and  the  Hallowe'en  celebration  put  new  "pep"  in 
the  Battalion  and  when,  on  November  first,  orders  were  received  for  a  direct 
pole  line  from  Langres  to  Neufchateau,  the  dirt  was  flying  in  short  order. 
It  was  All-Saints  Day.  As  the  work  started  church  bells  were  ringing  and 
all  day  the  French  were  continually  marching  to  and  from  the  different 
church  services. 

This  new  line  was  to  connect  large  Army  Stores  soon  to  be  established 
at  the  two  terminals,  and  its  construction  was  necessary  to  relieve  the  con- 
gestion on  the  lines  through  Chaumont.  Part  of  Company  "D"  was  assigned 
to  the  Neufchateau  end  and  the  Company  "E,"  Luzy  platoon,  started  at 

82 


THANKSGIVING 


83 


the  Langres  end  being  now  billeted  at  Frecourt.  So  rapidly  did  the  work 
progress  that  the  construction  men  were  frequently  held  back  because  they 
worked  faster  than  the  surveys  could  be  made.  Interruptions  for  more 
urgent  work  frequently  broke  in  on  the  construction  of  this  line  and,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  First  Battalion  had  to  leave  it  entirely  before  it  was 
completed. 

About  this  time,  a  decided  shake-up  in  the  official  family  took  place. 
Major  Hubbell  and  Captain  Gauss  were  transferred  to  General  Headquarters, 
where  the  former  took  charge  of  the  engineering  work  under  the  Chief  Signal 
Officer  and  the  latter  of  the  maintenance  of  all  Headquarters  telephone  equip- 
ment and,  with  Captain  Glaspey,  took  care  of  the  constant  additions  and 
changes  in  the  Headquarters  telephone  system.  Captain  Wattles  took  com- 
mand of  the  Battalion,  and  Lieutenant  Griest  was  taken  from  his  Frecourt 
platoon  to  command  Company  "'D"  at  Neufchateau.  Lieutenant  Suddath 
took  "E"  Company,  and  Lieutenant  Meigs  returned  to  his  first  love — the 
Supply  Office.  Lieutenant  Smith,  formerly  of  the  Regular  Army,  who  had 
recently  joined  the  Battalion,  was  made  Adjutant. 

This  made  the  official  organization  as  follows : 

Capt.  Wattles — Comma?iding 

Headquarters  Supply  Medical 

1st  Lieut.  Smith  ist  Lieut.  Meigs  ist  Lieut.  Macfarlan 

Adjutant  Supply  Officer  Medical  Officer 

Company  "D"  Company  "E" 

1st  Lieut.  Griest  ist  Lieut.  Suddath 

Commanding  Commanding 

Those  of  Company  "D"  not  engaged  on  the  trunk  line  were  on  Divisional 
Areas  work.  American  troops"  were  arriving  much  more  rapidly  than  was  at 
first  expected.     This  was  fortunate  for  the  situation  as  a  whole,  but  it  kept 


The  Frecourt  Detail  and  Barracks 


8-4 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


the  men  of  the  BattaHon  on  the  jump.  When  the  advance  details  from  the 
Divisions  arranged  with  the  Signal  Corps  for  the  telephone  equipment,  it  was 
easy  to  obtain  comfortable  billets  for  the  Signal  men  but  as  the  signal  work 
neared  completion,  the  warm  welcome  quickly  cooled. 


'Hotel  de  Ville"  at  Vaucouleurs 


When  the  detail  which  had  been  assigned  to  provide  telephones  for  the 
Second  Division  at  Bourmont  completed  the  job,  orders  were  received  to 
prepare  the  Vaucouleurs  area  for  the  Forty-second  Division.  Immediately, 
Brittain  with  his  platoon  moved  to  that  town.  Division  Headquarters  was 
to  be  established  in  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  which  contained  a  number  of  beautiful 
statues.  The  citizens  had  carefully  fitted  all  the  statuary  with  paper  fig  leaves, 
so  as  not  to  shock  the  modesty  of  the  "shrinking  violets"  from  America. 

"Dad"  Murdaugh  built  a  distributing  frame  in  the  loft  of  this  building, 
while  Ed  Hannam  installed  and  then  operated  the  switchboard  until  it  could 
be  taken  over  by  the  Division.  Leading  over  to  the  railroad  along  which 
the  main  trunks  ran,  a  homemade  cable  of  twenty -five  pairs  of  ordinary 
insulated  wire  was  strung.  Tritle  was  the  leader  in  the  wall-scaling  job  of 
festooning  this  cable  to  the  French  house  fixtures.  Ladders  were  at  a  premium 
and  Safety  Superintendent  John  Bailey,  could  he  have  seen  and  heard  these 
men  as  they  stood  on  the  tops  of  shutters,  narrow  window  ledges,  and  other 
points  of  questionable  safety,  would  have  realized  that  his  lessons,  although 
not  followed,  had  at  least  been  learned. 

The  various  activities  were  carrying  the  men  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
actual  fighting.  The  Vaucouleurs  platoon,  particularly,  being  some  thirty 
kilometers  north  of  Neufchateau,  felt  the  proximity  of  the  Hun.    The  boom 


THANKSGIVING 


85 


of  the  big  guns  was  heard  continually.  Now,  for  the  first  time,  the  Battalion 
made  the  acquaintance  of  gas  masks  and  helmets.  Enemy  airplanes  were 
a  common  sight,  sometimes  dropping  messages  such  as,  "You  are  our  com- 
rades and,  now  that  Russia  and  Italy  are  beaten,  let  us  join  together  and 
beat  our  common  enemy — England." 

While  the  Vaucouleurs  area  was  being  wired,  it  was  necessary  to  build 
a  line  back  toward  General  Headquarters.  For  a  few  days  service  over  the 
French  lines  was  attempted,  but  life  was  too  short  to  spend  two  or  three 
hours  obtaining  a  connection.  The  quickest  plan  was  again  to  use  the  rail- 
road poles,  and  permission  was  obtained  from  the  French  to  attach  brackets 
and  crossarms.  Brittain's  crowd  ran  the  circuit  south  from  Vaucouleurs, 
while  "Vic"  Hasskarl,  with  his  platoon,  worked  north  from  Neufchateau. 
Work  on  this  line  progressed  satisfactorily  despite  a  celebration  caused  by 
a  letter  announcing  the  arrival  of  an  additional  member  of  the  Daniels  family. 
The  trunks  were  completed  three  days  prior  to  the  date  requested  by  General 
Headquarters. 

In  the  larger  centers,  like  Chaumont  and  Neufchateau,  Y.  M.  C.  A.  huts 
were  well  organized.  As  officers  were  not  at  all  welcome  in  these  huts,  the 
French  and  American  officers  organized  a  club  of  their  own  at  Neufchateau. 
The  French  Mission  built  the 
shack  designed  by  a  famous 
Parisian  architect,  who  was 
in  an  engineers'  regiment, 
and  the  "Club  Lafayette" 
was  opened  with  a  party 
November  eighth.  A  splen- 
did concert  was  rendered  by 
an  orchestra  composed  of 
French  soldiers.  Two  French 
Generals  and  an  American 
General  spoke,  all  expressing 
joy  at  the  good  feeling  exist- 
ing among  the  Allies. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  a  cargo  of  Signal  Corps  supplies,  it  was  decided  to 
string  additional  wires  on  the  new  line  from  Vaucouleurs  to  Neufchateau, 
making  necessary  more  circuits  between  Chaumont  and  Neufchateau.  All 
who  could  be  spared  from  the  other  work  were  immediately  started  on 
the  latter  job.  Company  "D,"  less  the  platoon  remaining  at  Vaucouleurs, 
started  south  from  Neufchateau  while  "E,"  less  the  detachment  still  working 
on  the  Langres-Neufchateau  line  at  Frecourt,  started  north  from  Chaumont, 
Great  was  the  enthusiasm  among  the  men,  because  they  now  had  real 
American  materials,  and  enough  wire  reels  to  enable  them  to  do  an  intelligent 


Gas  Masks  and  Helmets 


86 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


and  efficient  job.  Certain  developments,  however,  required  that  the  circuits 
be  completed  considerably  earlier  than  was  at  first  anticipated;  and  regard- 
less of  weather,  the  gangs  worked  from  daylight  until  dark. 

The  new  circuits  progressed  so  rapidly  that  it  was  decided  that  the  time 
for  real  Thanksgiving  Day  festivities  could  be  spared,  and  every  one  entered 
enthusiastically  into  the  preparations  for  the  holiday.  The  Headquarters 
and  Supply  Detachments  this  time  decided  that  they  would  have  a  party 
of  their  own,  which  was  to  be  a  boar  hunt.  Early  in  the  morning  they  set 
out  and  scoured  the  woods  with  their  large  supply  of  firearms,  consisting  of 
one  shot-gun  and  a  half-dozen  automatic  pistols.     A  signal  of  five  blasts 

on  a  whistle  had  been  selected  to  assemble 
the  party  to  help  drag  out  the  game.  During 
the  morning's  hunt  one  shot  was  fired  at  what 
was  supposed  to  have  been  a  wild  turkey. 
Whether  it  was  or  not  no  one  will  ever  know. 
In  the  afternoon  the  game  was  more  active, 
or  perhaps  the  imaginations  more  acute,  as 
there  were  a  number  of  shots  fired.  But  the 
"five  blasts  on  the  whistle"  were  not  heard. 
The  boars  had  a  fine  day. 

"E"  Company's  celebration  consisted  of 
a  banquet  at  Marnay,  where  the  entire  com- 
pany had  assembled  while  Company  "D" 
collected  most  of  its  force  at  Neufchateau 
for  a  similar  affair.  The  Army  had  made  an 
earnest  effort  to  provide  all  of  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  a  real  Thanksgiving  Day 
dinner  for  the  troops.  A  generous  supply  of 
turkeys  arrived,  but  the  mincemeat,  cranber- 
ries and  other  "fixin's"  failed.  Here,  for  the 
first  time,  the  company  mess  funds,  which  had  been  contributed  by  the  employees 
of  the  Telephone  Company,  were  brought  into  action.  Very  real  was  the  feel- 
ing of  appreciation  toward  those  friends  who,  by  providing  these  funds,  enabled 
the  soldiers  to  enjoy  an  old-fashioned  Thanksgiving  Dinner.  Dailey's  part 
in  Company  "D's"  dinner  will  not  be  forgotten.  He  had  been  at  Vaucouleurs 
with  Brittain's  platoon,  and  while  there  had  made  for  the  Division  Quarter- 
master so  many  cranberry  pies  and  other  Army  dainties  (the  materials,  how- 
ever, furnished  by  the  Quartermaster),  that  when  Thanksgiving  Day  ap- 
proached he  was  given  permission  to  help  himself  to  any  supplies  he  needed 
for  his  own  "gang."  As  a  result,  liberal  quantities  of  cranberries,  sugar  and 
flour  helped  to  make  the  "D"  dinner  one  long  to  be  remembered. 

About  two  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  December  fourth  the  new  circuits 


Between  Neufchateau  and  Vaucouleurs 


THANKSGIVING 


87 


were  finished.  When  Captain  Wattles  and  Lieutenant  Griest  made  the  report 
to  General  Russell  at  General  Headquarters,  Major  Hubbell  being  away,  the 
General  congratulated  them  on  the  speed  of  construction  and  on  the  clear 
transmission,  stating  that  they  were  the  most  satisfactory  lines  over  which 
he  had  talked  since  leaving  the  United  States. 

Supply  Officer  Meigs'  greatest  trouble  at  this  time  was  in  securing  tires 
for  the  trucks  and  other  cars.  Countless  thousands  of  French  soldiers  with 
their  hob-nailed  shoes  were  continually  marching  along  the  roads.  Hob-nails 
coming  loose  from  the  shoes  literally  covered  the  road,  and  the  Lieutenant 
found  that  hob-nails  and  rubber  tires  make  a  poor  combination.  He  haunted 
the  Quartermaster's  office  begging  and  pleading  for  tires,  but  with  little 
success.  Upon  one  occasion,  the  Supply  Officer  learned  from  one  of  his 
friends  in  the  Quartermaster's  Office  of  the  arrival  of  a  carload  of  American 
tires  and  tubes.     It  was  intimated  that  if  Lieutenant  Meigs  could  reach  this 


Between  Chaumont  and  Neufchateau 


car  and  absorb  some  of  its  contents,  he  might  be  able  to  get  away  with  it. 
He  knew  there  was  such  a  demand  for  tires  at  Headquarters  that,  if  the  tires 
reached  the  warehouse,  there  was  little  chance  of  any  getting  to  the  Battalion. 
The  Lieutenant,  with  Gardiner,  located  the  freight  car,  found  it  open  and 
filled  with  a  fairyland  of  tires  and  tubes.  An  apparently  very  accommodating 
Marine  came  up  and  asked  the  Lieutenant  if  he  might  be  of  assistance.  While 
Gardiner  went  up  the  road  after  the  truck.  Lieutenant  Meigs  and  the  Marine 
were  unloading  the  car.  But  the  seemingly  friendly  Marine  happened  to  be 
a  guard,  and  had  his  schedule  so  nicely  arranged  that  a  detail  arrived  and 
caught  the  Supply  Officer  red-handed.  It  seemed  that  there  had  been  a  great 
deal  of  trouble  from  "volunteer"  Quartermaster  detachments  which  had  been 
helping  themselves  to  supplies.  Lieutenant  Meigs,  by  some  means  or  other — 
nobody  has  ever  solved  the  puzzle — so  hypnotized  the  captors  that  they  let 
him  go.  He  admitted,  however,  that  it  took  all  of  his  eloquence  and  suavity 
and  tact  to  turn  the  trick.  Later  when  the  Supply  Officer  was  telling  the 
story,  he  was  asked: 


88 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


"But  what  about  the  tires?    Did  you  get  away  with  them?" 


'H- 


,  yes!"  was  the  answer. 

The  main  trunks  to  Vaucouleurs  had  been  completed  for  several  days, 

and  the  permanent  lines  to  Morlancourt,  Bovee  and  other  isolated  towns  in 

this  area  were  rapidly  nearing  completion.    Suddenly  a  conference  of  French 

officials  was  called,  and  word  sent  to  the  Chief  Signal  Officer  that  the  American 


Right-of-way  Permit 


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atat.  ''-'rti^'s 


Form  Used  to  Report  Each  Day's  Work 


crossarms  on  the  Vaucouleurs  line  must  be  immediately  removed.  It  was 
claimed  that  they  weakened  the  poles.  General  Russell,  desiring  to  do  every- 
thing he  could  to  cooperate  with  the  French,  ordered  that  a  new  line  be  built 
at  once  and  the  wishes  of  the  French  carried  out.  After  a  few  more  confer- 
ences, however,  the  idea  of  a  new  line  was  abandoned,  and  the  old  circuits 
were  retained.  One  of  the  difficulties  frequently  encountered  was  this  lack 
of  coordination  between  the  various  French  departments.  General  Head- 
quarters would  obtain  permission,  through  the  French  Mission,  from  the 
higher  French  authorities  for  doing  certain  work.    About  the  time  the  work 


TH  AN  KSGI  F I NG 


89 


was  started,  a  local  "Chef  de  Section"  would  send  for  the  commander  and 
order  it  stopped  because  he  had  no  knowledge  of  any  permission  having  been 
given.  Sometimes  it  would  take  a  week  or  more  to  get  the  various  authorities 
together  but,  in  the  meantime,  the  work  under  one  ruse  or  another  was 
usually  continued,  so  that  the  conferences  interfered  little  with  the  actual 
construction. 

About  the  time  that  all  of  the  wiring  required  in  the  Vaucouleurs  area 
was  completed  and  troops  were  arriving  in  large  numbers,  the  French  ordered 
the  area  vacated  by  the  Americans  so  it  might  be  occupied  by  them  as  an 
area  for  repos.  It  was  not  pleasant  thus  to  have  the  satisfaction  of  work 
accomplished  snatched  away.  But  right  here  the  men  of  the  Battalion 
learned  a  lesson  which,  often  later,  stood  them  in  good  stead.  Many  times 
the  results  of  hard,  grueling  labor  were  lost  as  soon  as  the  work  was  done. 
"C'est  la  guerre.'"  And  the  men  realized  that  they  were  not  in  France  to 
build  telephone  lines  only.  They  were  there  to  do  their  share  in  wiping  out 
the  menace  of  a  Hun  victory. 

The  Forty- second  Division  was 
transferred  from  Vaucouleurs  to 
Rolampont,  the  trip  being  made  on 
foot.  "E"  Company  had  its  first 
experience  in  Divisional  Areas  work 
in  the  installation  of  the'  lines  re- 
quired for  training  in  that  area.  It 
was  during  the  hike  of  the  Forty- 
second  that  certain  weary  stragglers 
from  that  Division  stopped  at  "E" 
Company's  Frecourt  camp  and,  hav- 
ing been  well  fed,  were  tucked  away 
for  the  night.     As  a  mark  of  their 

gratitude,  these  men  on  their  departure  the  next  morning,  presented  to  Cook 
Johnson  a  pup  of  doubtful  parentage  which  they  had  been  taking  with  them 
as  a  mascot.  This  was  the  famous  "Hardtack" — the  only  Battalion  mascot 
which  survived  to  return  to  America  with  the  organization. 


'Hardtack" 


Chapter  X 


Losi — y^  Perfectly  Good  Name 


EVERY  man  in  the  Army  is  proud  of  the  particular  organization  to  which 
he  is  attached.  This  feehng  is  well  exemplified  in  the  English  Army,  where 
regimental  names  have  come  down  from  the  Middle  Ages.  A  man  "joins 
up"  with  an  organization  which  has  had  a  continuous  existence  for  centuries, 
and  his  pride  in  his  regiment  is  secondary  only  to  his  love  for  his  country. 

The  Battalion,  while  less  than  a  year  old,  had  been  "first"  in  so  many 
things  that  its  members  had  a  very  sentimental  attachment  for  the  title 
"First."  It  was  the  first  Signal  Reserve  Battalion  recruited.  The  men  were 
proud  of  the  fact  and  were  very  well  satisfied  that  it  was  boldly  displayed  in 
the  name  of  the  organization. 

However,  the  War  Department  could  pay  little  attention  to  sentiment. 
It  was  found  necessary  with  the  growth  of  the  National  Army  to  renumber  the 
Telegraph  Battalions.  Thus  the  First  lost  its  old  name,  and  from  December, 
1917,  it  was  known  officially  as  the  406th  Telegraph  Battalion,  Signal  Corps. 
This  change  well  nigh  broke  the  hearts  of  the  men. 

And  back  home  the  former  fellow  workers  in  the  Telephone  Company 
heard  of  the  change  with  anything  but  pleasure.  But  it  was  war  time  and 
personal  feelings  had  to  be  subordinated  to  the  success  of  the  cause.  Although 
known  from  this  time  on  as  the  406th,  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  were  inti- 
mately associated  with  it  and  who  were  so  deeply  interested  in  its  welfare, 
it  will  always  be  the  First  Telegraph  Battalion. 


LOST— A    PERFECTLY   GOOD   NAME  91 

General  Headquarters  grew  rapidly.  The  small  switchboard  soon  became 
inadequate  and  a  larger  one  was  necessary.  New  equipment  consisting  of  a 
four-section  switchboard  was  ordered.  When  received,  some  of  the  best 
installers  from  the  two  companies  of  the  406th  were  collected  for  this  job — 
Heilser,  Craigmile  and  Hannam  of  "D,"  with  Gaghagen,  Mumford  and  Bailey 
of  "E."  Day  and  night,  with  scarcely  a  rest,  they  rushed  the  work.  All  of  the 
blueprints  and  instructions  were  in  French,  but  the  circuits  were  so  complex 
that  even  the  French  representative  from  the  Pastes  et  Telegraphes  was  un- 
able to  puzzle  them  out.  Captain  Glaspey's  assistance  with  his  knowledge 
of  French  was  invaluable.  Mumford  was  in  charge  and  it  was  he  who  directed 
and  completed  the  wiring  of  the  switchboard.  This  installation  was  one  of 
the  most  important  pieces  of  work  done  by  the  Battalion.  All  of  the  officers 
at  Headquarters  were  necessarily  exacting  in  their  demands  for  service.  The 
original  boards  were  hopelessly  overloaded,  and  every  one  in  the  Chief  Signal 
Officer's  office  was  most  anxious  for  the  completion  of  the  new  installation. 
Captain  Paddock  from  the  Signal  office  kept  in  close  touch  with  the  work. 

Switchboard  operating  was  ever  becoming  more  important.  None  of  the 
men  had  any  training  or  experience  in  this  branch  of  signal  work,  but  those 
who  were  put  at  the  boards  jumped  in  like  old  timers.  In  addition  to  the 
operating,  these  men  were  compelled  to  pick  up  enough  French  to  enable 
them  to  carry  on  necessary  business  over  the  French  circuits.  Sergeant 
Quinby  came  back  to  help  for  a  time.  Theriot,  the  only  operator  familiar 
with  French,  did  what  he  could  to  impart  some  of  his  knowledge  to  Koser, 
Roache,  Ross,  Reid,  Thompson,  Grimm  and  the  others  who  were  operating. 
Further  to  organize  the  job  of  switchboard  operating,  Farrington  was  taken 
from  "D"  Company  and  stationed  at  Chaumont,  where  he  brought  into 
play,  in  the  training  of  the  operators  and  the  handling  of  calls,  all  of  the  experi- 
ence he  had  gained  during  his  traffic  work  with  the  Telephone  Company  at 
home.  Gaghagen  continued-  as  Wire  Chief  of  this  office,  assisted  by  Bailey 
and  O.  H.  McKinney,  and  Morcom  was  responsible  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  twenty-five  kilowatt  lighting  plant. 

The  Headquarters  telephone  exchange  building  was  warm  and  comfortable, 
but  the  sleeping  quarters,  where  the  headquarters  details  lived,  were  not  so 
pleasant.  The  unlined  wood  buildings  with  dirt  floors  contained  no  stoves 
of  any  kind,  and  their  inhabitants  occupied  them  only  long  enough  to  sleep — 
crawling  under  their  blankets  fully  dressed,  even  to  the  winter  caps  and  gloves. 
Recreation  time  was  spent  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut,  or  in  such  entertainment 
as  the  city  of  Chaumont  could  afford.  One  evening  Grimm,  Williams,  Rich- 
ards and  Henk  became  so  interested  in  the  French  cinema  that  they  were 
oblivious  of  the  flight  of  time  and,  on  their  way  to  their  "cold  storage"  bar- 
racks, were  arrested  by  the  Marine  guard  for  being  on  the  streets  after  "taps." 
The  Provost  Marshal  directed  that  the  offenders  be  escorted  to   the   French 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


1 — Quarters,     2 — First  Switchboard,    3 — Outside  Construction,     4 — Later  Installation. 
TRANSPORTATION     DEPARTMENT 


prison  and,  after  a  night  in  a  cold  musty  cell  and  a  prison  breakfast,  the 
devotees  of  the  cinema  were  sentenced  to  the  task  of  digging  graves. 

Again  Captain  Wattles  was  called  upon  to  give  up  an  officer.  This  time 
Lieutenant  Lawrence  left  and  was  made  Signal  Officer  in  London,  where  he 
gained  a  Captaincy  and  later,  as  Major,  became  Signal  Officer  of  one  of  the 
Base  Ports  in  France.  This  left  the  Battalion  very  short  of  officers.  The 
shortage  in  "D"  was,  however,  relieved  when  late  in  December  Hasskarl 
and  Price  were  commissioned  Second  Lieutenants.  The  knowledge  and 
reliability  of  the  noncommissioned  personnel  to  a  large  extent  overcame  the 
handicap  caused  by  the  shortage  of  officers  which  so  frequently  existed  with 
this  organization.  But  the  "noncoms"  could  not  help  their  commanders  in 
that  bane  of  an  officer's  existence — censoring  mail.  It  took  hours  each  evening 
to  go  over  the  letters  the  men  had  written  the  night  before. 

With  the  organization  of  the  Transportation  Department  of  the  Expedi- 
tionary Forces  came  another  big  job.     The  artillery  barracks  at  the  south  end 


LOST— A   PERFECTLY   GOOD    NAME  93 

of  Chaumont  were  wired  for  this  department  and  switchboards  were  installed. 
At  the  same  time  telephone  equipment  was  provided  for  the  Roosevelt  Hospital 
located  in  the  same  barracks.  To  connect  these  switchboards  to  General 
Headquarters,  a  line  was  built  through  the  town.  In  the  minds  of  the  old 
construction  men,  this  was  the  crookedest  line  on  which  they  had  ever  worked. 
Of  the  seventy  poles  only  ten  were  in  a  straight  line.  The  other  sixty 
were  "corners,"  and  each  required  a  guy  wire.  Russell  looked  after  the  instal- 
lation of  the  several  thousand  feet  of  aerial  cable  required.  As  was  frequently 
the  case,  many  French  signal  men  were  around  observing  the  work,  and  they 
were  especially  interested  in  the  erection  of  poles  by  the  American  method. 
The  French  method  is  to  dig  a  hole  with  a  trench  leading  down  to  the  bottom 
of  it.  The  lower  end  of  the  pole  is  then  "eased"  down  the  incline.  The 
American  method  is  simply  to  raise  the  top  of  the  pole  by  the  use  of  "pikes" 
and  let  the  "butt"  drop  into  the  hole  dug  to  receive  it. 

The  establishment  of  an  artillery  training  school  at  Fort  de  Pagny,  with 
a  range  of  approximately  three  by  six  kilometers,  required  extensive  wiring, 
and  Sergeant  Collins  was  sent,  with  a  detail,  to  do  the  work.  Several  of  the 
circuits  were  to  be  run  to  sentinel  posts  around  the  range.  During  artillery 
practice  all  persons  could  thus  be  warned  by  telephone  to  keep  out  of  the 
danger  zone.  A  detail  of  artillerymen  was  assigned  to  help  Collins  carry  the 
materials  through  the  woods  and  also  to  assist  in  stringing  the  circuits  across 
a  lake,  which  required  a  two  thousand  foot  span  of  wire.  Every  effort  was 
made  to  complete  the  installation  before  the  date  set  for  a  review.  The  date 
for  the  review  however,  was  advanced  one  day  without  Collins  being  notified, 
and  on  January  ninth,  while  the  men  were  installing  the  last  station  on  the 
range,  a  creeping  machine  gun  barrage,  as  a  feature  of  the  review,  was  started 
over  the  heads  of  the  installers.  Collins,  with  Custer  and  Schmitt,  ducked  for 
a  group  of  large  trees.  The  firing  continued  from  one  until  four  o'clock,  with 
the  trio  shivering  in  the  snow  behind  sheltering  trees.  They  admitted  after- 
ward that  it  was  not  a  pleasant  nor  restful  three  hours. 

The  problem  of  keeping  the  equipment  in  repair  increased  in  proportion 
as  the  lines  and  switchboards  grew  in  size  and  number.  The  work  became  so 
heavy  that  instructions  were  issued  at  General  Headquarters  dividing  the 
responsibilities.  To  the  First  Battalion,  or  rather  the  "406th,"  was  assigned 
the  maintenance  of  the  Headquarters  of  Divisions  and  of  the  lines  north  of 
Langres.  Lines  in  the  Divisional  Areas,  except  the  trunks  leading  back  to 
Headquarters,  were  to  be  maintained  by  the  Divisions  as  soon  as  the  Division 
signal  troops  arrived.  However,  signal  troops  were  frequently  the  last  to 
join  the  division,  and  it  was  necessary  in  such  cases  for  the  406th  to  lend 
details  for  operation  and  maintenance. 

One  cold  night  in  December,  a  faint  voice  reported  to  Neufchateau  from 
Chaumont  over  the  French  lines  that  all  of  the  American  circuits  were  out  of 


94 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


orcs.o; nw TO  3*0'*^ 

HEADQUAKTERS    AMERICAN    EXPEOITIONAKY    FORCES. 
OmCE    OF    THE    CHIEF    SIGNAL    OFFICER. 

D»aiBib«r  17,   I9I7. 


service.    This  brought  memories  of  "breaks"  back  home,  of  times  when  late 

at  night  these  very  men  had  rushed  out  through  sleet  and  rain  and  snow  to 

restore  the  service.     While  the  sections  were  being  assembled  and  the  trucks 

made  ready  for  operation  (during  this  freezing  weather,  radiators  were  drained 

each  night),  tests  from  the  Neuf chateau  exchange  showed  that  the  lines  to 

Gondrecourt  were  all 

right    but    neither 

Chaumont    nor    Ba- 

zoilles  could   be 

reached.     When    the 

trucks     were     ready, 

two   sections   started 

cautiously   down   the 

road,  no  lights  being 

allowed. 

Upon  arriving  at 
the  railroad  bridge 
over  the  highway  (the 
Route  Nationale)  the 
trouble  was  apparent. 
A  freight  train  had 
become  derailed  and 
several  cars,  breaking 
the  iron  railing,  had 
fallen  from  the  bridge, 


To  1 
Subject 


Offlo*  Chief  slgoel  Offlcei',    A.  E.  F. 
COBnandlng  Offloer,   406th  Telegrixph  Rettellon. 
Coamendtttlon  for  prompt  olenrlng  of  tl^j^le  en 


Chauaunt-tleiifehatettu  line. 


1.  on  Oecemljer  II,   1917.  on  entire  eActlon  of  t;-.o  cii«unont> 
Tleufoh^teAu  lend  wna  broken  down  by  three  dertilled   freight  cere 
felling  over  tV-t    lino  Tron  the  railroad  bridjo   Juet  weet  of  Heuf- 
ebeteea.       Thie  trouble  ea»  reporteJ  to  "H"  Cocpony  of   vujr  bettillc^n 
at  $:59  p*  ^^   t^d  the  service  Wao   re^eetebllaheJ  by  then  et  8:^  p.m. 

2.  That   this  wee  ecooopllshed   In  00  short  ft  time  despite  the 
darkness  reflects  greet   credit  on  your  eoTi7u.nd  and  cenerel  Ruseel 
wlehSB  you  to  express  hie  oppreclatlon  to  the  offloere  nnd  men  eho 
perfomej  thle  duty  in  euoh  a  very   orsditeble  menner. 


Sy  direction: 


Mejor.    S.C.,  U.S.R. 


??;v*°'*''  "'^*    ^'^    "••»••   !»"=•   16th,    1917   -   To  CO.    Co.    "B" 
406th  Tel.   Bn,,  H.A. 


By^rffer  of  Ciptalc  i/ntti£a 


'>mu^ 


F.P.    titi/BC 

lot  Ileut.,   S.C.U.S.R., 
Al  jutut . 


The  "break"  on  the  Route  Nationale 

cutting  in  their  descent  all  of  the 
wires  which  passed  beneath  it.  Excited  Frenchmen  ran  hither  and  thither 
with  dimmed  lanterns,  and  French  soldiers  formed  a  cordon  across  the  road, 
and  would  allow  no  one  near  the  wreck.  In  what  French  Lieutenant  Griest 
could  muster,  he  explained  that  at  such  a  time  rules  meant  nothing  to  the 
Signal  Corps,  and  the  guards  were  forced  to  give  way.  By  climbing  over  the 
wreckage,  the  tangle  of  wires  was  quickly  cut  away,  linemen  using  handfiash 
lamps  tied  to  their  caps.  Temporary  lengths  of  wire  were  used  to  repair  the 


LOST— A   PERFECTLY   GOOD    NAME  95 

damaged  circuits.  All  of  the  lines  were  working  -within  an  hour  and  a  half  from 
the  time  the  report  was  received  in  the  barracks. 

On  the  following  morning  this  incident  was  reported  to  Major  Hubbell. 
He  mentioned  to  General  Russell  that  the  service  had  been  interrupted  the 
evening  before  and  had  been  reestablished  at  8 :30. 

"You  mean  8:30  this  morning?"  the  General  asked.  When  assured  that 
the  circuits  were  cleared  at  8:30  the  evening  before,  the  General  directed  that  a 
letter  of  commendation  be  addressed  to  the  Battalion. 

A  let-up  in  the  training  area  work  gave  Company  "D"  an  opportunity  to 
work  on  the  line  leading  south  from  Neuf chateau  toward  Langres,  "E"  Com- 
pany having  been  working  steadily  on  the  lower  end  of  this  line  with  Frecourt 
still  as  a  base.  The  soil  around  Neufchateau  was  extremely  rocky.  Following 
the  highway  to  Langres  would  have  required  a  great  number  of  holes  in  almost 
solid  rock,  which  would  have  been  a  simple  matter  with  pneumatic  drills,  but 
drilling  by  hand  was  almost  out  of  the  question. 

The  first  five  kilometers  of  the  line  were  almost  inaccessible  from  the  high- 
ways, and  it  seemed  much  better  to  distribute  material  from  the  railroad  than 
to  attempt  the  distribution  from  the  highways.  Lieutenant  Shirley  Price 
had  an  interesting  time  on  this  job.  There  were  delays  in  getting  permission 
for  a  special  train,  and  delays  in  getting  the  train  started  after  it  was  loaded. 
In  time,  however,  it  did  get  started,  and  the  poles,  crossarms  and  other 
equipment  were  delivered  along  the  route  from  the  moving  train. 

While  the  material  was  being  delivered,  the  construction  men  hiked  along 
the  railway  to  the  spots  where  they  were  to  dig  the  holes.  Fearing  that  the 
ground  might  soon  become  frozen  and  stay  so  for  the  winter,  every  efTort 
was  spent  on  completing  the  holes,  leaving  the  erection  of  the  poles  until  the 
digging  was  finished.  This  decision  proved  an  unfortunate  one.  Other  work 
of  a  more  urgent  nature  was  required  before  the  poles  could  be  set  and  work 
on  the  railway  abandoned  for  several  weeks.  When,  in  February,  the  line 
was  tackled  again,  most  of  the  holes  had  become  filled  by  the  rains  and  thaws. 
Much  of  the  work  had  to  be  repeated. 

During  December  the  406th  was  again  called  upon  for  a  man  to  go  to 
another  branch  of  the  Army.  Just  as  Christmas  plans  were  being  talked  over. 
Sergeant  Bradford,  who  had  been  of  inestimable  help  throughout  the  formation 
of  the  Battalion  and  who,  in  France,  had  run  headquarters  affairs  in  such  a  way 
that  the  Battalion  commander  was  required  to  give  little  thought  to  that  end 
of  the  work,  was  commissioned  a  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Adjutant  General's 
Department,  and  assigned  to  the  First  Division  for  a  period  of  training.  Later 
he  was  detailed  with  General  March  at  Camp  Valdahon  and  joined  the  42nd 
or  "Rainbow"  Division  in  February.  Bradford  continued  with  the  42nd 
throughout  the  war  and  while  it  was  in  Germany  as  a  part  of  the  "Army  of 
Occupation,"  returning  to  America  in  May  1919,  as  a  First  Lieutenant. 


Chapter  XI 


The  First  Christmas 


IN  THE  preceding  pages  an  effort  has  been  made  to  give  some  account  of 
the  work  and  the  play,  the  hardships  and  the  pleasures  of  the  men  of  the 
Battalion.  If  the  holidays  seem  rather  prominent,  it  is  perhaps  because 
the  work  was  of  such  a  strenuous  nature  that  in  the  minds  of  the  men  an  occa- 
sional jollification  stood  out  by  contrast. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  stop  a  moment  while  plans  are  being  made  for 
celebrating  the  first  Christmas  in  the  A.  E.  F.,  and  briefly  consider  what  the 
men  had  accomplished  in  four  months  of  foreign  service.  The  most  important 
piece  of  work  perhaps  was  General  Pershing's  Headquarters  at  Chaumont, 
which  had  been  equipped  with  complete  telephone  and  lighting  plants.  These 
for  some  time  were  operated  and  were  still  being  kept  in  repair  by  the  Bat- 
talion. Pole  lines  had  been  built  and  circuits  strung  from  a  point  twenty-five 
kilometers  south  of  Chaumont,  north  via  Headquarters  and  Neuf chateau  to 
Vaucouleurs.  A  direct  line  from  Langres  to  Neufchateau  was  under  con- 
struction. A  number  of  shorter  lines  to  various  training  areas  from  Neuf- 
chateau and  Chaumont  had  been  built.  In  fact,  the  entire  area  surrounding 
Neufchateau  was  thoroughly  covered  by  American  lines.  Many  training 
areas  had  been  equipped  with  complete  telephone  facilities.  Much  of  this 
widely  scattered  plant  had  been  operated  and  all  of  it  kept  in  repair  for  shorter 
or  longer  periods  by  the  Battalion. 

The  Christmas  celebration  of  the  Battalion  began  back  in  Pennsylvania. 

96 


THE   FIRST   CHRISTMAS 


97 


At  Mr.  Kinnard's  suggestion,  seconded  by  practically  every  employee  of  the 
Company,  boxes  were  placed  in  the  various  offices  of  the  Company,  into  which 
all  who  desired  might  deposit  money  for  the  purpose  of  sending  Christmas 
boxes  to  the  men  overseas.     The  limit  was  a  quarter  from  any  one  person. 

When  the  money  was  all  gathered  in  Mr.  Wisse's  office  (he  was  Treasurer 
of  the  committee  in  charge  of  the  fund),  it  was  found  to  total  $1,543.00.  Not 
only  the  men  in  the  Signal  Battalions,  but  every  "mother's  son"  who  had 
entered  the  service  from  the  Bell  organization,  was  to  receive  a  Christmas 
box.  "Raw"  materials,  consisting  of  tobacco,  cigarettes,  plum  pudding,  jelly, 
gum,  chocolate,  tooth  brushes,  soap,  nuts,  and  other  things  which  every  man 
in  the  service  could  use,  were  purchased. 

All  employees  were  asked  to  write  letters  to  any  former  employee  with 
whom  they  were  acquainted  and  who  was  now  in  the  service.  The  sorting  of 
letters,  and  the  packing  of  boxes  for  the  six  hundred  and  fifty  men  to  receive 
them,  turned  the  Bell  offices  topsy  turvy  for  weeks.  All  of  the  boxes  with 
their  packets  of  letters  attached  were  dispatched  in  plenty  of  time  to  reach  the 
men — provided  submarine  or  other  disaster  was  not  met — before  the  holidays. 

The  thought  of  Christmas  away  from  home  is  never  pleasant.  Separation 
from  home  ties  by  several  thousand  miles  of  ocean  adds  nothing  to  the  joy  of 
the  season.  Being  part  of  an  Army  in  war  time,  and  little  knowing  what  the 
future  holds  forth — how  soon,  if  ever,  there  will  be  an  opportunity  to  get  into 
the  thick  of  it,  instead  of 
everlastingly  digging 
holes,  raising  poles  and 
stringing  wire — it  would 
seem  that  such  thoughts 
would  make  Christmas, 
191 7,  for  the  members  of 
the  406th  Telegraph  Bat- 
talion a  day  of  indigo  hue. 

But  such  was  not  the 
case.  Committees  were 
appointed  early  in  the 
month  and  preparations 
started  for  having  rousing 

parties  on  Christmas  Day.  The  boxes  had  been  arriving,  not  only  for  the 
men  who  had  formerly  been  employees,  but  also  for  those  transferred  to 
the  Battalion  from  other  organizations.  A  real  job  it  was  to  restrain  the 
impulse  to  take  "just  one  peep"  into  the  boxes  before  Christmas  Day. 

On  the  day  before  Christmas,  those  who  could  get  away  scoured  the  woods 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  camps  and  returned  with  evergreen  boughs  and 
huge  branches  of  mistletoe.     The  mess  halls  took  on  a  Christmas  air.     The 


Contents  of  a  Christmas  Box 


98 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


1— Bugler  Fest  Calls  Co.  "E"         2— Ready  for  the  Attack        3 — Christmas  in  Mamay 

section  chiefs  and  sergeants  volunteered  for  "K.  P."  duty,  and  the  entire  night 
before  Christmas  was  spent  in  roasting  the  turkeys  and  baking  innumerable 
pies.  The  mess  fund  boxes  received  at  Union  League  were  again  tapped,  as 
the  Quartermaster  was  unable  to  supply  what  the  men  thought  was  a  sufficient 
supply  of  turkey  and  trimmings  for  a  real  Christmas  dinner. 

The  Christmas  was  far  from  a  selfish  one.  Early  in  the  morning  Company 
"E"  gave  a  party  for  about  forty  children  at  Mamay.  A  regular  American 
Christmas  tree  was  set  up  in  the  schoolhouse.  It  was  covered  with  toys  and 
other  presents  on  a  background  of  snow,  the  latter  probably  from  the  stores 
of  cotton  in  Lieutenant  Macfarlan's  dispensary.  The  ceremonies  opened 
with  two  set  speeches  by  the  youngsters,  who  thanked  the  Americans  for  this 
first  real  Christmas  since  the  war  started.  Presents  were  distributed — there 
were  enough  for  two  "rounds" — and  there  was  considerably  more  noise  with 
tin  horns  and  rattles  than  the  room  could  comfortably  hold.  The  people  of 
Marnay  seemed  unable  to  express  fully  their  gratitude  for  the  kindly  thought- 
fulness  of  the  men  of  Company  "E." 


J 


THE   FIRST   CHRISTMAS 


99 


Lieutenant  Suddath  collected  all  of  his  company  at  Marnay,  work  being 
suspended  both  by  the  Frecourt  detachment,  which  was  pushing  the  Langres- 
Neufchateau  line  northward,  and  by  Lieutenant  Foust's  crews,  who  were  on 
the  big  job  in  the  Chaumont  artillery  barracks.  Those  who  could  be  spared 
from  the  exchanges  at  General  Headquarters  and  Langres  also  wended  their 
way  toward  Marnay,  and  at  noon  Company  "E,"  with  the  Battalion  Head- 
quarters Detachments,  assembled  in  the  little  mess  room.  Evergreen  and 
lanterns  covered  walls  and  ceilings  and  the  white  tables  were  strewn  with 
fruit  and  nuts  and  "smokes."  Outside  there  was  enough  snow  everywhere  to 
suit  the  most  exacting  requirements.  Vance,  who  was  still  handling  Company 
"E's"  mess,  produced  the  meal  of  his  life,  and  for  three  solid  hours  that  crowd 
of  healthy  soldiers  stuffed  away  a  seemingly  endless  supply  of  turkey  and  cran- 
berries, sweet  potatoes  and  pies.  As  the  enthusiasm  for  food  subsided, 
speeches  and  songs  held 
sway  well  into  the  evening. 

Company  "D"  gath- 
ered at  Neufchateau. 
The  Battalion  officers  were 
invited  to  dine  with  Com- 
pany "D,"  and  Major 
Hubbell,  now  at  General 
Headquarters,  was  in- 
cluded in  the  party.  Just 
about  the  time  for  dinner, 
the  Chaumont  detach- 
ments arrived,  bringing 
with  them  a  large  batch  of 
mail,  which  did  not  in  the 

least  detract  from  the  party.  Unfortunately,  early  on  that  fine  snowy 
morning,  Carlson  had  to  go  to  the  hospital,  there  to  spend  a  dismal  Christ- 
mas with  a  case  of  measles. 

As  an  innovation,  the  sergeants  had  volunteered  to  act  as  waiters,  and  a 
busy  time  they  had.  After  appetites  were  appeased,  a  letter  of  greeting  from 
Mr.  Kinnard  was  read,  and  it  brought  forth  wild  cheers.  Lieutenant  Hass- 
karl  had  been  appointed  Chief  Cook,  and  this  overheated  officer  was  dragged 
forth  from  the  kitchen  by  Master  of  Ceremonies  Brittain  to  make  a  bow  and 
receive  a  round  of  hearty  applause.  A  detail  from  the  lOist  Infantry  band 
furnished  music  for  the  occasion,  and  the  quality  of  the  music  may  be  judged 
from  the  fact  that  the  leader  had  formerly  been  an  assistant  director  of  the 
Boston  Symphony  Orchestra.  Lutz  and  Murdaugh  had  visited  a  cafe  at 
Liflfol  le  Grande  and  borrowed  a  mechanical  piano  of  ancient  lineage,  and  to 
make  the  party  complete,  there  was  a  real  piano  which  Thevelin  had  borrowed 


Co.  "D"  at  Neufchateau 


loo  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

from  a  neighbor.  Murdaugh  sat  on  the  mechanical  piano  to  hold  it  down  while 
Dobbie  tiirned  the  crank.  Before  the  celebration  ended  the  children  from  the 
neighborhood  were  invited  into  the  barracks  to  see  the  decorations  and  in- 
cidentally to  strip  the  tree  of  its  trimmings. 

The  first  Christmas  in  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  was  a  thing  of 
the  past.  Was  it  a  success?  If  noise  and  laughter  is  a  criterion,  the  answer 
must  be  decidedly  in  the  affirmative.  Was  there  any  homesickness?  If  there 
was,  it  was  carefully  concealed  behind  smiling  countenances.  Deep  down  in 
the  hearts  of  all  was  a  feeling  that  although  they  were  far  from  home,  the 
people  back  in  the  "States"  were  thinking  of  them,  and  missing  them  just  as 
much  and  perhaps  more,  than  they  themselves  missed  the  home  ties. 


iLy''Vi 


Chapter  XII 
Nearing  the  Battle  L,ine 

^URING  the  Autumn  of  1917  many  telephone  and  telegraph  lines  had 
been  built  by  the  various  signal  troops  of  the  American  forces.  Early 
in  the  winter,  as  these  lines  spread  out  to  take  care  of  the  arriving 
troops,  plans  were  made  at  General  Headquarters  to  coordinate,  unify  and 
systematize  the  network  of  wires.  At  Neufchateau  the  old  Divisional  Areas 
organization  was  supplanted  by  the  "Advance  Section,  Lines  of  Communica- 
tion," and  this  later  became  Advance  Section,  Services  of  Supply,  or  "S.  O.  S." 

Neufchateau  became  increasingly  important  and  a  signal  officer  was 
placed  there.  Major  Kelly  being  assigned  to  the  post.  He  was  a  great  big 
warm-hearted  Irishman  and  he  became  very  popular.  There  were  no  experi- 
enced signal  men  in  his  outfit,  and  he  borrowed  several  men  from  the  Bat- 
talion. Banholzer  held  down  the  telegraph  key  at  Neufchateau,  while  other 
men  from  both  Companies  carried  on  the  telegraph  and  telephone  business  at 
Langres. 

Major  Kelly  had  a  definiteness  about  his  way  of  giving  orders  which  showed 
that  he  meant  business.  Gallo  and  Drew  who  were  in  the  Langres  office  had 
one  interesting  experience  with  the  Major.  The  scarcity  of  telephone  instru- 
ments made  it  necessary  that  they  be  installed  only  where  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  war  business.  One  evening  Major  Kelly  happened  to  overhear  a 
conversation  from  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  telephone  which  seemed  to  indicate  that  a 
telephone  at  that  location  was  not  of  primary  importance  in  licking  the  Hun. 

101 


I02  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

Turning  toward  Gallo  who,  with  Drew,  was  working  in  the  office,  he  asked: 

"Who  put  that  telephone  in  at  the  'Y'?" 

"A  Field  Battalion,  Sir,"  replied  Gallo. 

"Very  well,  as  soon  as  you're  through  there,  you  fellows  go  down  and  yank 
it  out." 

When  Gallo  and  Drew  arrived  at  the  hut  and  explained  their  mission,  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  worker  called  up  Major  Kelly  and  began: 

"This  is and  I  am  a  friend  of  Senator — " 

"Well,"  interrupted  the  Major,  "this  is  Major  Kelly;  politics  don't  count 
in  the  Army." 

Bang !    Up  went  his  receiver.     Gallo  and  Drew  returned  with  the  telephone. 

The  headquarters  of  the  various  centers  along  the  lines  of  communication 
needed  many  signal  men  for  their  permanent  forces.  It  required  constant 
effort  to  prevent  the  loss  from  the  Battalion  of  its  experienced  men.  Never- 
theless, Noonan  and  O'Brien  were  permanently  transferred  from  "D"  Com- 
pany and  remained  in  the  telegraph  office  at  Paris.  Keyes,  the  motor  sergeant 
of  Company  "E,"  after  establishing  with  the  help  of  Schmidt  and  V.  P.  King 
the  Signal  Corps  garage  at  General  Headquarters,  was  taken  from  the  Battalion 
and  permanently  assigned  to  the  Signal  Corps  at  Nevers.  Sergeant  George 
remained  permanently  at  Chaiunont  in  charge  of  the  telegraph  office  and  kept 
with  him  Flaherty  and  Kayser.  Atwood  and  Smith  of  "E,"  and  McNichol 
and  Parks  of  "D,"  were  permanently  transferred  to  run  a  telegraph  office  in 
London,  and  Theriot,  one  of  the  best  telephone  operators  of  Company  "E," 
who  spoke  French  fluently  was  taken  to  operate  the  telephone  exchange  at 
Versailles.  Besides  these  men  who  were  permanently  lost  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  men  temporarily  detached  for  operating  telephone  and  telegraph  offices 
and  doing  miscellaneous  maintenance  work  at  Chaumont,  Langres  and  Neuf- 
chateau. 

All  these  losses  made  it  necessary  to  secure  authority  from  the  Chief 
Signal  Officer  to  request  details  from  troops  stationed  in  areas  in  which  signal 
work  was  being  done,  to  help  the  telephone  men  with  their  construction.  At 
Morlancourt  for  example,  a  detail  of  Infantry  with  a  few  of  Brittain's  non- 
commissioned officers  erected  the  poles  which  connected  this  town  to  Bovee, 
whence  the  wires  ran  on  French  poles  through  Void  to  Vaucouleurs.  Col- 
lins as  has  been  mentioned,  constructed  the  line  from  Chaumont  to  Jon- 
chery  with  a  detail  of  men  borrowed  from  the  Engineers  and  when  later  he 
installed  the  signal  system  at  Fort  de  Pagny,  the  bulk  of  the  labor  was  pro- 
vided by  details  from  the  Artillery.  At  Bourmont,  to  enable  the  Second 
Division  to  complete  the  installation  work.  Woodward  with  Long  directed 
the  new  construction  and  maintenance  required  by  Colonel  Carr,  most  of  the 
actual  work  being  done  by  details  of  Marines  furnished  through  the  coopera- 
tion of  Lieutenant  Wood,  Signal  Officer  of  the  Fifth  Regiment  of  Marines. 


NEJRTNG    THE   BATTLE    LINE 


103 


The  Road  into  Menil  la  Tour 


At  Neuf chateau  a  large  detail  was  borrowed  from  the  loist  Signal  Bat- 
talion, 26th  Division.  These  latter  came  to  feel  that  they  were  part  of  the 
406th  and  were  loath  to  return  to  their  organization  when  orders  to  that 
effect  were  received. 

Early  in  January  it  was  decided  to  move  the  First  Division  toward  the 
front  to  prepare  to  take  over  an  American  sector  northwest  of  Toul.  There 
was  so  much  work  to  be  done  in  organizing  the  sector  proper  that  signal  troops 
were  required  to  provide  lines  between  the  new  Division  Headquarters  at 
Menil  la  Tour  and  the  American  telephone  lines.  Company  "D"  was  given 
the  job.  It  was  determined  to  provide  three  talking  circuits  and  to  equip  the 
line  also  for  telegraph  service  over  the  same  wires.  Work  on  the  northern 
end  of  the  Neufchateau-Langres  line  was  immediately  suspended.  Lieu- 
tenant Hasskarl  with  his  platoon  was  despatched  to  Pagny  sur  Meuse  to 
work  toward  Vaucouleurs  and  Menil  la  Tour,  while  Lieutenant  Price  worked 
his  platoon  out  of  Neufchateau,  rebuilding  the  lines  to  Vaucouleurs.  These 
latter  had  been  placed  along  the  French  railroad,  and  in  a  month  without 
attention,  except  such  doubtful  repairs  as  the  French  made  while  maintaining 
their  own  circuits  on  the  same  poles,  had  depreciated  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
require  almost  entire  reconstruction.  The  Meuse  River,  which  was  an  ex- 
tremely small  and  innocent  looking  stream  when  the  line  had  been  built  along 
the  railroad  in  the  Fall,  had  on  account  of  the  snows,  the  rains  and  the 


I04 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


constant  freezing  and  thawing,  not  only  overflowed  its  banks  but  covered  an 
area  a  mile  or  more  in  width  and  throughout  most  of  the  length  of  its 
valley.  At  places  between  Coussy  and  Maxey  it  was  necessary  to  travel  ten 
or  fifteen  miles  in  order  to  reach  a  point  only  a  mile  away.  While  Lieutenant 
Price  was  battling  with  the  flood,  Lieutenant  Hasskarl  and  his  platoon  were 


The  Meuse  Overflows  its  Banks 


stringing  wires  along  the  French  railroad  line  between  Vaucouleurs  and  Pagny, 
and  on  another  French  pole  line  along  the  highway  to  Menil  la  Tour.  The 
weather  was  probably  the  worst  which  was  encountered  throughout  the  whole 
bitter  winter  and  on  account  of  the  extremely  short  time  allowed  for  the 
completion  of  the  work,  construction  was  continued  from  daylight  until  dark 
in  the  snow,  sleet  and  rain.  The  "eight-hour  day"  was  a  standing  joke — 
eight  hours  before  dinner  and  eight  hours  after. 

The  small  town  of  Pagny  was  occupied  by  a  battalion  of  French  artillery 
and  there  were  few  unoccupied  billets,  but  the  Zone  Major  did  his  best  to 
provide  for  Lieutenant  Hasskarl 's  platoon,  the  first  Americans  to  reach  the 
town.  A  large  loft  and  a  stable  were  cleared  and  Tomlinson  set  up  his  cook 
stove  to  help  keep  the  men  warm.  During  the  night  the  floor  caught  fire 
under  the  stove  and  a  bucket  brigade  was  organized  which  poured  "beancoup" 
water  on  the  blaze.  The  floor  leaked  and  the  whole  French  Army — or  so  it 
seemed — must  have  been  sleeping  beneath  and  charged  up  to  the  loft  to  find 
out  the  reason  for  the  shower.  Near-French  explanations  were  in  order. 
Later  in  the  night  snow  sifted  through  the  many  openings  in  the  roof,  and  in 
the  morning  the  sleepers  found  that  in  addition  to  their  army  blankets  they 
were  covered  by  a  three-inch  blanket  of  snow.  But  nobody  complained  of 
the  life.  Althouse  made  his  daily  trips  from  Neufchateau  with  the  food  and 
Tomlinson  kept  the  fire  going  and  furnished  a  plentiful  supply  of  Indian  meal 
porridge  and  bacon  and  coffee. 

Toward  the  end  of  this  job  the  French  moved  many  of  their  men  out  of 


NEARING    THE    BATTLE   LINE 


105 


Pagny,  and  Lieutenant  Hasskarl  was  able  to  secure  what  he  thought  were  far 
superior  billets.  They  looked  comfortable.  The  men  thought  they  were  in 
luck.  But  it  was  only  an  hour  or  so  before  Tritle  reached  inside  his  shirt  to 
dig  around  and  find  out  what  was  going  on  in  there.  Then  Haislop  became 
uncomfortable.  He  seemed  restless.  One  after  another  the  men  developed  a 
general  uneasiness  of  demeanor,  and  then  each  began  digging  at  various  parts 
of  his  anatomy. 

There  had  been  cootie  stories  which  had  lightened  many  an  evening  in 
camp.  But  here  was  the  real  thing.  And  the  humor  had  all  gone  out  of  the 
subject — so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  Lieutenant  Macfarlan  was  given  a  hurry-up 
call.     His  detail  used  kerosene  and  boiling  water  to  good  effect. 

The  circuits  were  finished  so  quickly  that  General  Gibbs,  who  had  taken 
a  keen  personal  interest  in  the  job  and  had 
visited  Pagny  frequently  throughout  its  con- 
struction, complimented  the  men.  The  Chief 
Signal  Officer,  too,  had  been  following  the 
work  with  special  interest  and  upon  its 
completion  ordered  a  telegram  of  congratu- 
lation despatched  to  Company  "D." 

Through  the  winter  months  the  linemen 
worked  faithfully,  rarely  complaining  of  the 
weather,  and  always  having  in  mind  the  ne- 
cessity of  the  work.  But  no  amount  of  will- 
ingness and  spirit  and  cheer  on  the  part  of 
the  linemen  would  have  produced  results 
without  the  faithful  motor  sections.  The 
chauffeurs,  with  the  assistance  of  the  shop 
gangs,  kept  their  trucks  and  motorcycles  in 
tip-top  condition.  Day  after  day  they  drove 
them  along  ice  covered  roads  in  snow  and  sleet  with  no  other  protection  than 
they  could  improvise  from  half  a  shelter  tent  or  a  poncho.  The  motorcycle  men 
had  a  particularly  hard  time. 

In  keeping  up  the  morale  of  the  American  forces,  regularity  in  the  mail 
service  was  second  in  importance  only  to  food  and  clothing.  For  the  406th 
Sergeant  Magill  organized  a  daily  service  between  Marnay  and  Chaumont 
and  in  rain  or  shine,  snow  or  sleet,  McKee  made  his  trips  by  motorcycle  over 
this  route.  One  day,  however,  he  collided  with  a  truck  which  resulted  in  a 
prolonged  stay  in  the  hospital.  Upon  his  discharge  from  the  hospital  he  was 
lost  to  the  Battalion,  being  transferred  to  another  outfit. 

The  flooded  condition  of  the  Meuse  valley  began  to  threaten  the  main  pole 
line  from  Neufchateau  to  the  south.  The  Mayor  of  Neufchateau  had  told 
the  truth.     The  innocent  little  stream  of  the  Autumn  became  a  turbulent 


Maj.  General  Gibbs 


1,  3,  8 — Some  of  the  Motor  Men.  2 — Dad  McCann  Finds  a  Souvenir. 

4,  5,  6,  7 — "Ixx)k  Pleasant,  Please!" 


NEARING    THE    BATTLE    LINE 


107 


At  Montigny 


flood.  Poles  which  had 
seemed  safe  in  high  and  dry 
locations  were  now  sur- 
rounded with  six  feet  or  more 
of  swirling  water  carrying 
with  it  huge  cakes  of  ice. 
The  safety  of  this  line  was  so 
threatened  that  a  few  men 
were  taken  from  the  First 
Division  work  to  rim  emer- 
gency circuits  along  the  trees 
bordering  the  flood.  These 
circuits  were  so  arranged 
that  in  case  any  of  the  poles 

fell,  the  new  wires  could  be  quickly  placed  in  service.  A  patrol  was  kept  on  duty 
to  take  care  of  any  such  emergency.  When  the  waters  began  to  recede,  human 
chains  were  formed  and  the  linemen  waded  out  to  the  poles  to  attach  guys  to 
those  which  had  been  most  severely  threatened.  This  work  was  so  important, 
and  so  few  men  cotild  be  spared  from  the  Menil  la  Tour  line,  that  a  call  was 
sent  for  help,  and  a  detachment  from  Frecourt,  where  "E"  was  still  working 
on  the  Neufchateau  line,  was  despatched  to  Neufchateau.  These  men,  under 
Dickson,  hurried  north  thinking  that  they  were  about  to  enter  into  active 
and  dangerous  territory.  Although  disappointed  when  they  found  out  that 
they  were  still  a  number  of  kilometers  from  the  front,  they  set  to  work  guying 
all  of  the  threatened  poles  to  guard  against  the  coming  of  another  flood.  To 
help  with  the  work,  Donbaugh,  anxious  to  try  his  Susquehanna  boatsmanship 
commandeered  an  old  boat  which  had  come  down  the  stream.  While  he  was 
standing  in  the  craft,  it  became  loosed  from  its  mooring  to  a  pole  and  started 
to  float  down  the  stream.  The  sailor-lineman  reached  out  and  grasped  one 
of  the  circuits.  The  boat  had  gained  such  speed  that  Donbaugh,  before  re- 
covering from  his  surprise,  was  lifted  by  his  hold  on  the  wire  and  dropped 
unceremoniously  into  the  flood.  His  companions  pulled  him  out  but  the 
boat  was  no  more.  When  the  flood  had  receded  sufficiently,  triangular  wood 
cribs  were  built  on  the  up-stream  side  of  the  poles  which  had  been  most  severely 
battered  by  ice  and  debris.  It  was  with  a  feeling  of  security  that  the  next 
flood  was  awaited. 

After  the  accident  to  the  main  trunk  lines  caused  by  the  freight  train  jump- 
ing off  the  bridge  south  of  Neufchateau,  Company  "D"  manufactured  from 
ten  pairs  of  wire  an  emergency  cable  which  was  coiled  on  two  old  reels  so  that 
it  could  be  placed  in  the  middle  of  a  break  and  the  cable  run  off  simultaneously 
in  both  directions.  The  period  of  excessive  snow  and  rain  and  thaw  cleared  off 
suddenly  on  Sunday,  January  twentieth,  with  a  terrific  wind  which  seemed  to 


io8 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


iPWHi^viMiWi^W 


threaten  many  of  the  Hnes.  The  ground  was  so  extremely  soft  that  in  many 
places  poles  were  rocking  and  shortly  after  noon  mess  a  call  came  by  way  of  a 
French  trunk,  announcing  that  again  all  of  the  circuits  to  Chaumont  were  out 
of  service.  This  was  the  first  Sunday  holiday  observed  in  weeks,  but  every 
man' in  the  company  wanted  to  be  assigned  to  the  job.     Only  one  section  could 

be  allowed  to  go,  the  other  three  to  remain  at 
the  barracks  to  be  ready  for  other  troubles 
should  they  arise.  The  emergency  cable  was 
loaded  on  a  truck.  Beyond  St.  Blin  it  was 
discovered  that  a  large  tree  had  been  blown 
across  the  wires  and  that  Company  "E"  men 
from  Chaumont  were  already  on  the  job 
with  enough  material  to  make  a  temporary 
repair.  Twenty  minutes  later  the  ten-wire 
line  was  in  service  again. 

Work  on  the  upper  end  of  the  much 
delayed  Neufchateau-Langres  line  had  been 
suspended  in  the  rush  to  complete  the  cir- 
cuits to  Menil  la  Tour.  After  this  latter  job 
was  completed,  late  in  January,  a  conference 
was  held  in  Neuf  chateau  at  which  the  relative 
importance  of  all  of  the  work  then  in  hand 
was  discussed.  Colonel  Voris  of  the  First 
Division,  Major  Kelly  of  the  Advance  Sec- 
tion, S.  O.  S.,  Major  Hubbell  from  General 
Headquarters,  with  the  Battalion  officers 
talked  over  the  various  propositions  which 
were  under  consideration,  and  it  was  decided 
to  begin  to  gather  the  406th  Battalion 
together  to  care  for  the  forward  work  which 
seemed  imminent.  About  this  time  there 
was  a  rumor  that  the  Battalion  was  to  be 
assigned  to  the  newly  formed  First  Army 
Corps. 

Neuf  chateau  was  selected  as  Battalion 
Headquarters  and  those  men  who  had  not  been  permanently  transferred 
assembled  from  Chaumont,  Langres,  Nevers  and  all  the  way  back  to  St. 
Nazaire.  Company  "D"  had  been  living  in  comfortable  quarters  in  a  French 
garage  but  gave  up  this  space  for  the  Headquarters  and  Supply  Detach- 
ments. An  elderly  woman,  Madame  Garcin,  the  widow  of  a  French  General 
and  who  fifty  years  before  had  lived  in  America,  offered  her  garage,  which  was 
across  the  street,  for  billets  for  the  Headquarters  men.     This  made  most 


Private  John  J.  Hollowell 


HEARING    THE    BATTLE    LINE 


1 09 


comfortable   quarters.     The    two   Companies   fotmd  other  quarters  in  the 
town. 

While  the  Battalion  was  gathering  at  Neufchateau  preparatory  to  more 
active  service,  a  section  of  "E"  Company  remained  at  Montigny  continuing 
its  work  on  the  Langres  line,  and  once  more  Company  "D"  started  working 
on  the  upper  end.  To  add  to  the  convenience  of  delivering  men  to  the  job 
a  billet  was  obtained  from  the  23rd  Infantry  at  St.  Thibault  and  Lutz  and 
Spears  were  despatched  to  that  town.  These  men  gave  the  billet  the  "once 
over"  and  pleaded  for  tents  and  cots  which  they  might  set  up  in  a  snow- 
covered  field.  Their  request  was  granted  and  the  tents  arrived  in  the  eve- 
ning at  the  end  of  a  hard  day's  work.  Ground  was  cleared  and  tents  and 
stoves  set  up.  The  snow  soon  thawed  within  the  tents  but  in  the  morning 
axes,  crow-bars,  hammers  and  chisels  were  brought  into  play  to  loose  the 
cots,  boots  and  shoes  which  were  solidly  frozen  into  the  ground. 

***** 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  Battalion  experienced  its  first  fatal  casualty. 
On  February  eleventh,  as  one  of  the  sections  was  traveling  to  the  storeroom 
at  Rebeval  barracks,  the  chain  holding  the 
tail  gate  of  a  truck  parted,  and  HoUowell  and 
Underwood  of  Company  "D,"  fell  to  the 
ground.  Hollowell,  who  had  fallen  on  his 
head,  was  at  once  taken  to  the  hospital 
and  Underwood  returned  to  camp.  Officers 
from  the  Battalion  went  immediately  to  the 
hospital  and  found  that  everything  possible 
was  being  done  to  care  for  the  injured  man 
who  seemed  to  be  resting  comfortably.  That 
night  the  last  report  was  that  he  seemed  to 
be  improving.  The  next  morning  however, 
he  died.  Except  for  Major  Glaspey  who 
died  of  pneumonia  in  November,  191 8,  this 
was  the  only  death  in  the  Battalion. 

Arrangements  were  made  for  a  proper 
burial  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  thirteenth 
the  entire  Company  formed  and  accom- 
panied the  truck  upon  which  was  placed 
the  flag-covered  casket,  to  the  little  Ameri- 
can graveyard  at  Rouceux. 

***** 


.     ';   _^m£B^Rml-. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^HflKT^k 

■IBBI/ 1 

Hollowell 's  Grave 


Early  in  February,  Major  Hubbell  was  relieved  from  duty  at  General 
Headquarters  and  ordered  to  rejoin  the  Battalion.  He  resumed  command 
on  the  evening  of  the  thirteenth  and  shortly  afterward  Captain  Wattles  and 


no  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

Lieutenant  Macfarlan  set  off  for  a  "leave"  at  Nice.  Orders  had  been  issued 
for  the  preparation  of  leave  schedules  for  the  men  of  both  Companies.  But 
the  work  continually  interfered  and  the  only  enlisted  man  in  the  Battalion 
to  have  a  real  seven-days'  leave  before  the  armistice  was  Miller  of  Com- 
pany "D"  who,  while  on  detached  service  at  General  Headquarters,  was 
granted  a  special  leave. 

%  jThe  Major,  in  anticipation  of  important  work  ahead,  arranged  for  the 
release  of  all  members  of  the  Battalion  from  work  in  the  area  south  of  Neuf- 
chateau  and  once  more  the  Neufchateau-Langres  line  was  left  unfinished. 
By  this  time,  however,  it  was  nearing  completion  and  it  was  finished  by  old 
friends  of  the  Second,  now  the  "407th." 


'itmmgMmmimiimttm»-*r*i:fiatritsi!t^'^^''-^m '■^-  -  <m»9««wi» 


Chapter  XIII 


With  the  First  Army  Corps 


GENERAL  Order  No.  9,  issued  from  General  Headquarters  on  January 
fifteenth,  1918,  created  the  First  American  Army  Corps.  Not  since 
the  close  of  the  Civil  War  had  there  been  such  an  organization.  Major- 
General  Hunter  Liggett  was  named  as  Corps  Commander,  and  the  First, 
Second,  Twenty-sixth  and  Forty-second  Divisions  were  assigned  for  line  duty, 
and  the  Forty-first  as  Base  and  Training  Division.  There  were  also  a  num- 
ber of  artillery,  signal,  engineer,  air  observation,  and  pursuit  troops,  cavalry, 
and  a  replacement  Division,  making  a  total  of  approximately  170,000  men. 
At  a  later  date,  the  permanent  assignment  of  Divisions  to  a  Corps  was  dis- 
continued, the  main  body  of  the  Corps  consisting  of  troops  temporarily 
placed  under  its  tactical  or  administrative  command. 

On  January  twentieth,  the  First  Corps  with  headquarters  at  Neuf chateau, 
began  to  carry  out  General  Order  No.  9  and  took  over  the  administrative 
command  of  the  First  Division  which  was  in  line  in  the  Xivray-Flirey  sector, 
and  shortly  afterward  of  the  Second  Division  holding  the  sector  'between 
Dieue  and  Spada,  the  Forty-second  Division  holding  the  Luneville-Baccarat 
sector,  and  the  Twenty-sixth  Division  then  along  the  Chemin-des- Dames. 
Each  of  the  Divisions  remained  for  the  present  under  the  tactical  command 
of  the  various  French  Corps  to  which  they  had  been  assigned. 

On  February  seventeenth,  the  406th  was  assigned  as  the  First  Corps 


111 


I  12 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Telegraph  Battalion  and,  in  anticipation  of  the  very  important  work  to  be 
done  at  Corps  Headquarters  all  of  the  equipment  was  carefully  gone  over 
so  that  everything  would  be  in  shape  for  tackling  any  assignment.  While 
Company  "E"  was  building  a  new  line  from  Neufchateau  to  Void,  Com- 
pany "D"  reported  for  temporary  duty  to  the  Signal  Ofificer  of  the  First 
Division. 

During  the  week  prior  to  the  movement  of  Company  "D,"  a  conference 
was  held  with  Major  Schwartz,  First  Division  Signal  Ofificer.  It  was  learned 
that  it  was  his  idea  to  split  the  Company  into  many  small  details,  working 
throughout  the  Division,  so  that  he  might  collect  the  men  of  his  Divisional 
Field  Signal  Battalion  for  handling  new  construction.     Strenuous  objections 

were  made  to  this  plan.  The 
Battalion  Officers  would  not 
agree  that  any  similar  organ- 
ization of  the  A.  E.  F.  could 
do  better  work  than  the  men 
of  the  406th.  A  discussion 
of  the  matter  convinced  the 
Division  Officers  that  the 
406th  would  produce  far  more 
satisfactory  work  under  its 
own  officers  than  if  it  were 
split  into  details  scattered 
around  with  various  units. 
Orders  were  issued  to  that 
effect.  At  this  time  Captain 
Gauss  was  released  from  Gen- 
eral Headquarters  and  re- 
turned to  his  old  organization 
as  Engineer  Officer  at  Bat- 
talion Headquarters. 
Washington's  Birthday  was  approaching,  and  an  order  was  issued  from 
General  Headquarters  directing  that  this  holiday  be  observed  by  all  A.  E.  F. 
troops  except  those  actually  engaged  in  combat  with  the  enemy.  For  the 
406th,  Chief  Entertainer  "Jerry"  Hamilton  was  instructed  to  produce  the 
talent  and  put  on  a  show.  The  Battalion  collected  in  the  large  assembly 
room  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut  at  Neufchateau.  A  mandolin  quartet,  Buehler, 
Ricciardi,  Gardiner  and  Hale,  responded  to  repeated  encores.  "Jerry"  was 
on  the  program  with  his  famous  pantomime  poker  game,  with  his  "black-face" 
stunts,  with  songs,  and  as  end  man  with  Sebring  in  a  minstrel  show  which 
brought  down  the  house.  Dobbie  resurrected  an  "O.  D."  blanket  from  which 
he  made  a  Scotch  Kiltie  costume  to  give  "local  color"  to  his  dialect  stories. 


Maj.  General  Hunter  Liggett 


WITH    THE    FIRST   ARMY   CORPS 


113 


Thevelin  induced  a  part  of  the  Seventy-seventh  French  Infantry  Band  to 
play  between  the  vaudeville  acts. 

As  the  time  was  near  at  hand  when  the  Battalion  was  to  see  actual  fight- 
ing, it  was  necessary  to  dispose  of  quantities  of  excess  baggage.  Prior  to 
this  time  the  different  camps  and  billets  had  been  of  a  semi-permanent 
nature,  which  tended  to  encourage  the  accumulation  of  "junk"  of  various 
descriptions.  There  were  loud  lamentations  when  the  miscellaneous  assort- 
ment of  boxes  and  trunks,  with  much  of  their  contents,  were  discarded. 

Company  "D"  started  for  the  new  location  on  February  twenty-eighth 
in  a  pouring  rain.  Lieutenant  Price  with  Lutz  and  his  construction  gang 
and  several  telephone  and  telegraph  operators  set  off  for  Gondrecourt,  there 


Boucq 


to  take  over  the  operation  of  the  switchboard  at  the  rear  echelon  of  the  First 
Division,  and  to  do  such  bolstering  up  and  rebuilding  as  the  hastily  con- 
structed telephone  plant  in  that  vicinity  required.  The  remainder  of  the 
Company  proceeded  to  Boucq. 

The  only  available  billet  for  the  company  at  Boucq  was  a  wooden  barracks 
which  had  not  been  appropriated  by  any  of  the  divisional  troops  because 
one  end  was  open  to  the  weather,  and  because  it  boasted  no  floor  except 
mother  earth.  In  dry  weather,  when  this  home  was  selected,  the  grass- 
covered  floor  looked  possible  but  when  the  trucks  with  the  mess  equipment 
arrived  it  was  raining,  and  the  prospective  billet  appeared  almost  hopeless. 

It  was,  as  one  of  the  wags  remarked,  "A  fine  place  for  submarines,  but  h 

for  sleeping." .  Erb  gave  one  glance  at  the  open  end  of  the  shack  where  he 
was  expected  to  set  up  his  kitchen  and  almost  "passed  out."     But  with 


114  '^HE   FIRST   BATTALION 

characteristic  good  nature  the  mess  crew  was  soon  established  in  the  mud. 
The  train  which  was  to  transport  the  men  as  far  as  Toul  was  to  leave 
Neufchateau  at  one  o'clock.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  did  not  get  started 
until  five.  Early  in  the  evening  snow  began  to  fall  and  by  the  time  Toul 
was  reached  a  blizzard  was  raging.  It  took  nine  hours  to  make  the  forty- 
kilometer  trip.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  appreciated  than  the  plenti- 
ful supply  of  hot  chocolate  and  sandwiches  which  were  generously  distributed 
by  the  Red  Cross  workers,  Miss  Andrews  and  her  assistant.  Cowan  tells  of 
the  men's  appreciation: 

"I  have  dined  at  the  Cafe  de  la  Paix  in  Paris,  in  one  of  the  best 
cafe  of  Lyons,  and  in  private  houses  without  number.  I  have  begged 
meals  from  all  kinds  of  outfits,  from  colored  labor  battalions  to 
officers'  messes;  but  the  food  that  I  was  most  thankful  for  was  the 
chocolate  and  sandwiches  from  the  girls  who  had  waited  for  us  in 
snow  and  sleet  for  five  hours.  It  was  given  with  a  smile  and  we  were 
made  to  feel  that  we  were  doing  them  a  favor  by  eating  the  things 
they  had  for  us." 

The  car  containing  the  cots  and  blankets  was  shifted  from  the  station 
into  the  freight  yard.  It  seemed  hours  before  it  was  placed  where  it  could 
be  unloaded.  The  remainder  of  the  journey  was  made  by  truck.  A  batch 
of  mail  had  been  brought  up  to  Boucq  from  Neufchateau  and  this,  together 
with  the  steak  and  potatoes  and  coffee  which  Dailey  had  been  keeping  hot  for 
hours,  put  new  cheer  into  the  gang.  By  two  o'clock  the  entire  camp,  includ- 
ing those  in  tents  pitched  near  the  barracks,  had  settled  down. 

These  men  were  still  amateurs  in  the  war  game.  At  six  the  next  morning 
they  had  their  first  taste  of  gun  fire.  A  barrage  put  over  by  the  Germans 
against  American  troops  in  the  trenches  was  the  first  real  cannonading  the 
Signal  men  had  heard.    It  seemed  very  close,  and  as  Cowan  puts  it: 

"A  few  months  later,  we  worked  beside  artillery  at  Chateau 
Thierry,  and  in  September  we  heard  the  roar  of  the  barrage  which 
started  the  St.  Mihiel  offensive,  probably  the  greatest  artillery 
operation  during  the  entire  war,  but  none  of  these  gave  us  the 
thrill  that  we  experienced  that  first  night  in  the  mud  of  Boucq." 

During  that  barrage,  which  preceded  a  German  attempt  at  raiding  the 
American  trenches,  the  troops  of  the  First  Division  gave  such  a  good  account 
of  themselves  that  the  Commander  of  the  Thirty-second  French  Corps  issued 
a  general  order  congratulating  the  Americans  on  their  "superb  energy  and 
coolness."  Although  the  men  of  the  406th  had  taken  no  part  in  the  action, 
their  chests  swelled  when  they  read  their  copy  of  the  order,  as  they  realized 
that  they  were  now  with  the  forces  actually  facing  the  enemy. 

Knowing  that  Boucq  was  close,  to  the  front,  Lieutenant  Macfarlan  had 
accompanied  the  outfit  and  with  Lieutenant  Hasskarl  and  the  star  "rustler" 


WITH    THE    FIRST   ARMY    CORPS 


115 


Montsec  in  the  Background 


Pemberton,  helped  to  get  the  camp  in  shape  the  next  morning^by  covering 
the  worst  of  the  puddles  with  corrugated  iron.  No  reveille  was  sounded  that 
morning  except  for  a  detachment  taken  to  Menil  la  Tour,  or  "Maxey"  as 
it  was  called  in  code,  for  duty  in  the  listening  posts.  Meantime,  Lieutenant 
Griest  tramped  through  the  snowy  woods  with  Major  Schwartz,  studying 
routes  for  various  lines  to  be  constructed  to  Regimental  Headquarters.  The 
Major  did  not  realize  that  he  now  had  a  "Battalion  of  Experts"  and  his 
plan  was  to  explain  the  work  to  be  done  and  to  furnish  from  time  to  time, 
what  material  he  believed  would  be  required.  It  was  explained  that  if  he 
would  show  just  where  the  lines  were  to  be  built  and  the  type  of  construction 
which  he  desired.  Company  "D"  would  estimate  and  requisition  the  materials 
required  and  go  ahead  with  the  construction.  After  two  days  of  close  super- 
vision. Major  Schwartz  not  only  gave  the  Company  blanket  approval  to  draw 
from  his  stores  any  supplies  required,  but  also  asked  that  certain  of  his  senior 
noncommissioned  officers  be  allowed  to  travel  around  with  Kraus  who  was 
making  the  surveys  and  plans  and  with  the  construction  details,  to  gain 
experience. 

While  lines  toward  the  front  were  being  surveyed  and  material  for  these 
collected,  Jensen  and  his  section  erected  two  circuits  between  the  French 
exchange  at  Toul  and  the  First  Division  switchboard  at  "Maxey."  These 
circuits  were  placed  on  French  poles,  and  went  up  as  if  by  magic,  a  few  days 
respite  from  construction  work  having  given  the  crowd  a  surplus  of  energy. 


IK 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


The  forward  circuits  were  tackled  with  a  will.  On  this  line  there  were 
no  rights  of  way  to  be  considered.  Speed  of  construction  and  accessibility  for 
quick  repairs  were  the  chief  factors,  and  the  line  led  straight  across  fields 
from  the  hill  at  Boucq,  toward  the  woods  to  the  north,  always  in  plain  view 
of  the  commanding  Boche  positions  at  Montsec.  Fortunately  no  rock  was 
encountered  in  the  digging  of  holes.  The  poles  provided  were  rather  light, 
but  this  was  not  a  time  for  argument  and  they  were  used.    The  line  terminated 

in  the  woods  south  of  Ansauville, 
and  one  branch  ran  to  a  dugout 
at  Raulecourt.  Another  ran  into 
Ansauville,  connecting  with  a  line 
being  erected  by  the  Division  Sig- 
nal Battalion. 

While  rushing  this  line  to  the 
north  the  whole  countryside 
was  crowded  with  troops:  in- 
fantry going  to  or  returning  from 
the  trenches,  engineers  working 
on  highways  or  railroads,  and  others 
distributing  ammunition  which,  by 
night,  was  hauled  into  the  woods  on 
the  little  narrow-gauge  trains  or 
"light  railways."  No  lights  were 
allowed  on  the  trucks  in  this  neigh- 
borhood, as  it  was  necessary  to  con- 
ceal all  movements  as  much  as  pos- 
sible; nor  were  "Klaxons"  permit- 
ted, because  horns  were  used  to 
warn  of  gas  attacks.  Colored  labor 
troops  were  working  in  the  vicinity 
gathering  fuel  from  the  woods.  They 
kept  up  a  constant  chatter.  Seeing 
an  engineer,  one  inquired  of  Don- 
baugh : 

"Say,  boss,  ah  knows  dem  fellahs 
wid  crossed  guns  on  theyah  collahs 
am  infantry,  and  dem  fellahs  wid 
de  crossed  flags  is  signal  men,  but 
who  is  dem  wid  de  hotels  on  theyah 
collahs?" 

Another    dusky    was    chatting 
Lieut.  Col.  William  F.  Repp  with    Spangler   when    a   group  of 


WITH    THE    FIRST   ARMY    CORPS 


117 


French  Colonials,  probably  from  Morocco  or  Algiers,  passed  along  the  road. 
The  laborer  called  out  to  one  of  the  Colonials: 

"Whah's  you  from,  babe?" 

"Je  ne  comprends  pas,"  replied  the  Colonial.  Whereupon  the  mystified 
darkey  gasped: 

"Damn  ef  theyah  aint  ah  niggah  whah'  doan  know  his  own  lanwidge." 

Before  the  forward  line  had  been  completed  it  was  decided  to  increase 
the  number  of  circuits.  "Repp  insulators"  were  used.  In  his  early  days  in 
France,  Captain  Repp  devised  a  crossarm  which  was  an  improvement  on 


Men  of  the  26th  Division  Entering  Toul  Sector  to  Relieve  the  1st  Division 

the  type  used  by  the  Allies.  The  ordinary  crossarm  is  heavy  and  Repp 
figured  that  much  cargo  space  could  be  saved  and  much  hard  work  eliminated 
without  sacrificing  any  efficiency  by  using  arms  of  regulation  length,  but  just 
heavy  enough  to  last  the  couple  of  years  during  which  the  lines  were  expected 
to  serve.  A  lineman  could  swing  a  whole  bundle  of  the  new  arms  over  his 
shoulder  and  carry  them.  At  the  same  time  Repp  devised  a  new  insulator 
which,  instead  of  screwing  over  a  wooden  knob  on  the  crossarm,  had  a  pro- 
jecting iron  screw  which  could  be  driven  directly  into  the  wooden  crossarm. 
Crossarms  therefore  were  merely  straight  sticks  of  wood  and  the  insulators 
were  very  readily  attached  by  driving  the  screw  partly  into  the  crossarm 
and  then  turning  it  a  couple  of  times  to  pull  it  down  tight.  These  became 
familiar  to  all  Signal  troops  as  "Repp  crossarms"  and  "Repp  insulators." 
Repp  also  devised  simpler  methods  of  attaching  the  crossarms  to  the  poles. 

The  work  which  Repp  was  doing  at  General  Headquarters  was  not  of  the 
spectacular  type  and  its  importance  but  little  realized  in  the  field.     He  was 


ii8  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

promoted  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  certainly  would  have  gone 
higher  had  not  the  Germans  quit  in  November.  He  was  awarded  the  Ameri- 
can Distinguished  Service  Medal: 

"For  exceptionally  meritorious  and  distinguished  services.  With 
his  valuable  assistance  the  Signal  Corps  was  enabled  originally  to 
plan  for  the  immense  network  of  the  United  States  Army  telegraph 
and  telephone  lines  now  existing  in  France.  To  him  is  attributable 
the  exceptionally  high  standard  of  efficiency  attained  by  the  tele- 
phone and  telegraph  service.  As  chief  signal  officer,  Advance  Sec- 
tion Services  of  Supply,  his  services  have  been  marked  by  a  char- 
acter of  exceptional  excellence." 

That  his  work  was  known  to  our  Allies  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  he 
was  honored  by  the  English  as  a  "Companion  of  the  Most  Distinguished 
Order  of  St.  Michael  and  St.  George";  by  the  French  as  a  "Chevalier  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor,"  and  he  was  recommended  by  the  Italian  General  Head- 
quarters for  an  Italian  medal.  It  can  be  seen  that  the  influence  of  his  work 
was  widespread. 

The  work  went  ahead  with  such  speed  and  enthusiasm  that  in  nine  days 
the  whole  job  was  done.  The  Divisional  Signal  Oflficer  had  estimated  that 
it  would  take  three  weeks  to  put  up  the  originally  planned  two-crossarm  line 
and  circuits  to  Toul.  Not  only  was  this  work  completed  in  nine  days  but 
three  additional  arms  with  their  wires  as  well.  A  number  of  records  were 
made.  One  morning,  in  three  hours  Long  and  Noone  completed  eighteen 
five-foot  deep  holes.  Another  time  Jensen's  section,  with  four  men  climbing 
and  foxir  ground  men,  strung  forty-eight  half-mile  coils  of  wire  in  eight  hours. 
The  officers  of  the  First  Division  learned  that  there  was  no  joke  in  the  term 
"experts"  when  applied  to  the  406th. 

On  the  Sunday  after  the  line  was  completed,  General  Russell  with  General 
Gibbs  and  other  officers  reached  Boucq  to  look  it  over.  General  Russell 
stood  on  the  hill  from  which  the  first  half  of  the  line  could  be  seen  as  it 
stretched  across  the  country  toward  the  Foret  de  la  Reine.  He  rubbed  his 
hands  and  enthusiastically  exclaimed,  "That's  the  kind  of  work  that  is  a 
credit  to  the  Telegraph  Battalions  and  you  will  all  be  doing  a  lot  more  of 
it  before  this  war  is  over." 

Aeroplane  activity  was  almost  constant,  the  German  planes  flying  over 
the  lines  every  morning  in  the  midst  of  terrific  anti-aircraft  attacks.  "What 
goes  up  must  come  down,"  and  the  falling  shrapnel  made  steel  helmets  popular. 
During  one  attack,  Jensen  who  was  stringing  circuits  near  Raulecourt  dis- 
covered that  he  had  left  his  helmet  in  the  truck.  Did  he  run  back  and  get 
it?     Not  he.     A  coil  of  wire  on  his  head,  he  stuck  to  the  job. 

On  account  of  the  increasing  artillery  and  airplane  activity,  all  troops 
quartered  in  Menil  and  Boucq  were  ordered  to  prepare  either  caves  or  shelter 
trenches  into  which  to  retire  in  case  of  bombardment.     No  caves  were  avail- 


WITH    THE    FIRST   ARMY   CORPS  119 

able  at  Boucq  and  all  the  construction  men  were  kept  on  the  line.  The  first 
sergeant,  mess  sergeant,  company  clerk  and  two  or  three  of  the  mechanics 
dug  a  trench.  An  attempt  was  made  to  enlist  the  services  of  the  official 
interpreter  Thevelin,  but  that  worthy  after  rummaging  through  his  effects 
produced  a  certificate  from  French  Headquarters  stating  that  because  of 
wounds  received  while  in  the  trenches,  he  was  incapable  of  performing  any 
physical  labor.  That  let  him  out  of  the  work  but  did  not  prevent  his  fellows 
from  telling  him  that  during  bombardment  he  would  enjoy  it  in  the  open. 

Living  with  the  First  Division  was  satisfactory  in  many  ways.  Supplies 
came  regularly  and  the  daily  allotments  of  rations  were  liberal.  But  the  pay 
for  February  was  slow  in  arriving  and  sociable  games  in  the  evening  were  out 
of  the  question,  as  the  January  pay  long  since  had  gravitated  by  way  of  the 
cards  or  "bones"  to  the  pockets  of  a  few.  So  in  the  evenings  all  joined  in  the 
general  singing,  led  by  the  mandolin  "ticklers,"  Hale,  Buehler  and  Walkup. 
Erb's  monologue  as  a  circus  "barker"  and  Hale's  weird  musical  instrument, 
made  of  a  stick  and  cigar  box  with  a  single  string,  helped  to  pass  the  time. 
The  star  shells  and  showers  of  tracer  bullets  from  the  machine  guns  of  the  air- 
planes made  a  beautiful  sight  as  they  lightened  the  heavens.  Occasionally, 
the  men  who  returned  from  duty  in  the  listening  posts,  the  most  dangerous 
work  the  Battalion  had  yet  been  called  upon  to  do,  consented  to  tell  of  their 
experiences  in  No  Man's  Land.  Many  of  the  auditors  were  anxious  to  be 
assigned  to  this  work  while  others  were  more  conservative.  As  one  of  the 
latter  put  it : 

"You  fellows  can  do  all  the  bragging  you  want.  When  I'm  told  to  go,  I'll 
go,  but  'til  then  I'm  going  to  stay  right  here.  I'm  not  anxious  to  meet  any 
undertaker  until  I  have  to." 

When  the  work  north  of  Boucq  had  been  finished  and  Murdaugh  had  com- 
pleted a  switchboard  in  the  old  Chateau  at  Boucq,  First  Division  plans  were 
changing.  As  "D"  Company's  camp  was  in  an  exposed  location,  it  was  de- 
cided during  the  lull  to  move  to  the  little  town  of  Laneuveville  which  was 
sheltered  by  a  friendly  hill  from  sight  of  the  enemy  at  Montsec. 


Chapter  XIV 


One  Thi?ig  After  Another 


lORPORAL  LEON,"  a  little  French  boy,  attached  himself  to  the  Bat- 
talion during  the  winter.  Spears  gives  a  picture  of  this  interesting  young- 
ster :  "During  our  first  winter  in  France  a  young  French  kid  about  eleven 
years  old  wished  himself  on  us  as  mascot.  Early  in  the  war  he  had  lost  both  his 
father  and  mother.  He  had  been  up  with  some  French  outfit  and  had  been 
wounded,  and  came  to  us  dressed  up  in  his  little  French  sky-blue  uniform, 
wound  and  service  stripes  and  a  corporal's  chevron.  He  was  just  such  a  kid 
as  one  would  expect  him  to  be  after  his  associations  with  a  crowd  of  soldiers — 
wise  beyond  his  years,  resourceful  and  self-reliant,  pretty  tough  for  a  kid, 
but  a  likable  little  chap  with  it  all. 

"He  acquired  a  great  liking  for  Fennell,  and  he  brought  with  him  a  great 
fondness  for  homeless  dogs  probably  because  he  was  a  waif  himself.  Every 
day  he  would  get  a  new  dog,  take  him  around  to  the  mess-shack  and  get  him 
a  big  feed.  His  hunger  satisfied,  the  dog  generally  beat  it.  After  this  had 
happened  with  several  different  dogs,  he  finally  brought  in  a  little  stub-tailed 
mutt  which  he  decided  to  keep  tied.  But  Mr.  Pup  spent  most  of  the  night 
howling  and  some  one  cut  him  loose.  Leon  missed  him  the  next  morning  and 
had  one  of  those  French  fits.  He  started  to  investigate.  Some  one  told  him 
that  Fennell  had  cut  the  rope.  He  came  in  ready  to  annihilate  Fennell  but 
couldn't  find  him.    One  could  see  by  his  face  what  was  in  his  mind.     It  was 

120 


ONE    THING    AFTER    ANOTHER  121 

hard  to  go  back  on  a  friend,  but  the  loss  of  his  dog  was  too  much.  He  held 
up  the  piece  of  rope  and  between  sobs  he  called  down  on  Fennell  a  stream 
of  curses  which  would  have  shamed  the  most  hard-boiled  man  in  the  A.  E.  F. — 
it  was  the  only  English  Leon  knew — and  he  finished  with  tears  rolling  down 
his  face:    "Le  bon  petit  chien,  il  est  parti!" 

Company  "E"  had  not  been  idle  during  the  month  of  March.  The  First 
Army  Corps  plans  indicated  that  the  lines  through  Vaucouleurs  would  become 
more  and  more  important.  The  light  copper  line  along  the  railway  had  not 
been  entirely  satisfactory  and  Company  "E"  began  to  build  a  new  line  which 
was  to  follow  the  road  from  Neufchateau  to  Vaucouleurs  and  continue  thence 
to  Void.  As  usual  this  was  a  job  which  had  to  be  done  in  a  great  hurry. 
Lieutenants  Suddath  and  Foust  started  at  Vaucouleurs  with  one  platoon 
and  Captain  Wattles  started  with  another  platoon  in  Neufchateau.  To  speed 
the  work  a  large  detail  was  borrowed  from  the  loist  Engineers. 

Another  important  job  was  furnished  by  the  narrow-gauge  or  light  rail- 
ways which,  with  Sorcey  as  a  center,  required  telephone  service.  Here  again 
the  Engineers  furnished  the  men  and  Collins  had  his  hands  full  teaching  them 
to  build  telephone  lines.  These  circuits  connected  with  the  new  lines  at  Void 
and  went  past  Sorcey  to  Corneville,  a  little  town  close  to  Boucq. 

There  were  no  unusual  construction  features  on  the  Void  line  and  the  work 
progressed  in  an  orderly  fashion  with  only  minor  interruptions  such  as  that 
caused  by  the  establishing  of  a  new  air  field  north  of  Vaucouleurs.  This  made 
necessary  the  re-routing  of  a  section  already  completed.  The  recall  of  the 
engineers  cut  down  the  working  forces  at  Vaucouleurs  and  it  was  necessary 
to  call  for  men  from  "D."  These  latter  who  were  assigned  to  help  at  Vau- 
couleurs had  just  become  established  in  the  best  billets  in  Laneuveville,  ex- 
pecting to  enjoy  a  rest  after  their  strenuous  days  at  Boucq.  Thus  came 
one  more  opportunity  to  learn  the  lesson  that  in  war  time  the  unexpected  is 
usually  to  be  expected. 

Just  about  this  time  information  was  received  that  the  Air  Service  was 
establishing  Headquarters  at  Toul.  This  meant  telephone  service.  A  section 
was  collected  from  Gondrecourt  and  Vaucouleurs,  the  offices  were  quickly 
wired  and  a  small  French  switchboard  installed.  As  the  Air  people  had  no 
one  to  operate  the  switchboard,  Craigmile  after  finishing  the  installation 
remained  there  as  switchboard  operator  until  an  operator  could  be  found  to 
relieve  him. 

New  officers  arrived  with  the  Battalion  late  in  March.  These  men  had 
completed  courses  in  the  training  camps,  first  in  the  States  and  then  in  France, 
and  were  put  in  the  Battalion  so  they  might  become  familiar  with  the  methods 
used  in  actual  construction  work.  Lieutenants  Waldron  and  Donaldson  were 
placed  with  "E"  Company  and  Lieutenants  Laveyea  and  Hyre  went  to  "D." 
After  a  stay  of  a  little  more  than  a  month  all  of  these  except  Lieutenant  Donald- 


122 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


son  were  assigned  to  other  Battalions.  During  March  other  changes  had 
taken  place  in  the  family  of  officers;  Lieutenant  Smith,  the  Adjutant,  was 
returned  to  the  United  States  and  Captain  Gauss  became  Adjutant  as  well  as 
Engineer  Officer. 

The  combined  effort  of  almost  the  entire  Battalion  resulted  in  the  com- 
pletion of  the  lines  to  Void  and  Sorcey  in  short  order  and  the  Companies  re- 


1 — Working  Out  of  Neufchateau     2 — Co.  "E"  Motor  Mechanics     3 — That  Satisfied  Feeling 

turned  to  their  respective  towns,  "D"  to  Laneuveville  and  "E"  to  Neufcha- 
teau. Further  German  successes  in  the  west  however,  had  caused  a  new 
change  in  the  First  Corps  plans  and  all  construction  with  Laneuveville  as  a 
centre  was  abandoned.  Shortly  after  its  return  from  Vaucouleurs,  Company 
"D"  moved  to  Harmonville  to  prepare  for  new  work. 

Lieutenant  Laveyea  relieved  Lieutenant  Price  at  Gondrecourt,  so  he  could 
return  to  command  Company  "D"  while  Lieutenants  Griest  and  Hasskarl 
took  a  leave  at  Abc-les-Bains.  Most  of  the  reconstruction  work  at  Gondre- 
court had  been  completed  but  there  remained  the  necessity  of  operating  the 
telephone  and  telegraph  lines.  Hannam,  in  charge  of  the  telephone  exchange, 
and  rapidly  developing  into  one  of  the  best  switchboard  operators  in  the  Bat- 
talion, thus  describes  his  work  at  Gondrecourt : 

"To  my  lot  fell  the  taking  charge  of  an  office  which  was  a  large 
relay  point  in  the  Motor  Dispatch  Service  where  the  great  bulk  of  the 
Second  Division  telegraph  business  was  handled.  This  took  care  of 
more  E.  F.  M.  cablegrams  than  the  Corps  office,  to  say  nothing  of  the 


ONE    THING   AFTER    ANOTHER  123 

telephone  system  which  had  to  be  operated.  The  First  Corps  schools 
and  the  aviation  fields  at  Amanty,  besides  the  First  Division  area  tele- 
phones, all  terminated  on  the  board,  so  this  was  no  easy  task  in  itself. 

"About  this  time  it  became  evident  that  the  operating  of  the 
switchboards  which  we  were  going  to  be  called  on  to  do  more  and 
more,  was  becoming  quite  a  problem.  It  was  necessary  to  make  a 
thorough  study  of  the  subject  and  school  the  men  who  were  best 
qualified.  We  were  dealing  with  the  subscriber  direct,  usually  a 
Colonel  or  a  General  who  thought  that  his  call  was  the  most  im- 
portant— in  his  opinion  a  matter  of  life  and  death.  He  would  fre- 
quently give  us  to  understand  a  court  martial  would  be  our  reward  if 
the  call  did  not  go  through  immediately,  even  if  the  lines  were  shot 
to  pieces.  Quite  frequently  the  call  was  of  the  utmost  importance, 
although  we  had  to  sift  this  kind  out  of  possibly  dozens  of  others. 
Most  of  the  business  was  "toll,"  so  every  possible  routing  had  to  be 
in  one's  mind,  while  every  town  and  generally  the  individual  officers 
themselves  were  coded. 

"Besides  the  alertness,  tact  and  patience  of  the  operator,  it  was 
necessary  to  become  a  human  encyclopedia  as  well  and  the  great 
volume  of  business  which  had  to  be  put  through  the  French  exchanges 
required  almost  the  effort  of  a  superman.  Our  own  lines  were,  in  some 
cases,  horrible  specimens  leased  from  the  French  and  usually 
grounded.  When  simplexed  these  sounded  like  a  young  boiler  shop. 
Again,  it  might  be  necessary  to  try  to  talk  over  twenty  miles  of  oiu: 
twist  lying  across  roads  and  in  shell  holes,  strung  under  the  most 
trying  conditions.  Therefore,  it  was  necessary  to  develop  a  great 
pair  of  lungs  and  an  intuitive  sense  of  what  was  being  said  on  the 
other  end  of  the  line.  The  real  difficulty  was  that  no  sooner  did  one 
become  familiar  with  his  particular  local  conditions,  the  geography 
of  the  surrounding  country,  codes,  etc.,  than  everything  was  changed, 
including  our  location. 

"At  any  rate,  at  this  time  I  was  selected  to  be  an  operator,  either 
a  chief  or  otherwise,  for  the  duration  of  the  war.  It  was  not  because 
the  job  appealed  to  me  or  I  wanted  it  but  because  I  was  needed  on 
this  particular  work  and  others  could  be  found  to  do  anything  else  I 
could  do.  It  was  then  I  found  how  one's  individuality  could  be 
absolutely  lost  in  the  Army.  In  order  that  the  larger  unit  might 
function,  the  individual  had  to  be  sacrificed.  I  mention  this  not  in  a 
spirit  of  fault-finding  but  simply  to  do  justice  to  a  large  percentage 
of  the  fellows." 

Certain  of  Hannam's  remarks  refer  to  switchboard  operating  during  later 
activities  of  the  Corps  but,  as  he  indicates,  telephone  service  was  popular  in 
the  army  and  there  were  few  men  really  qualified  to  do  the  operating.  Those 
who  were  selected,  however,  did  efficient  work.  For  the  purpose  of  developing 
more  telephone  operators  a  school  was  established  in  the  Battalion.  In 
charge  of  the  school  was  Lynch,  a  fortunate  acquisition  during  the  winter,  who 
had  formerly  worked  under  Major  Hubbell  in  the  New  York  Telephone  Com- 
pany Traffic  Department  at  Newark. 


124 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


The  First  Corps  continued  in  administrative  command  of  the  First,  Second, 
Twenty-sixth  and  Forty-second  Divisions  until  April  when  the  First  Division 
was  hurriedly  withdrawn  from  the  line  and  sent  over  to  Cantigny  to  help  stop 
the  German  drive.  At  this  time  it  was  determined  to  move  Corps  Head- 
quarters to  Toul.  Immediately  a  switchboard  was  established  and  the  Gon- 
drecourt  detachment  under  Lutz,  enlarged  by  several  men  from  Harmonville, 
quickly  strung  circuits  throughout  the  town  to  various  oflfices  and  to  the  French 
exchange.  At  the  same  time  a  ten-wire  line  was  started  from  Neufchateau 
toward  Toul,  Company  "E"  working  from  Neufchateau  to  Martigny  and 
Company  "D"  from  that  town  to  Colombey  les  Belles. 


Harmonville 


The  plant  at  Toul  was  completed  on  time  and  the  Corps  Chief  of  Staff 
moved  into  his  new  Headquarters.  But  once  more  the  plans  were  changed 
and  the  officer  returned  to  Neufchateau.  Toul  had  become  an  important 
point  for  the  Army,  being  in  the  center  of  a  group  of  air  organizations  and  a 
switching  point  for  many  of  the  Corps  lines.  So  the  switchboard  was  con- 
tinued, the  dignified  code  of  "Podunk"  being  assigned,  and  a  telegraph  service 
established  as  well.  In  prospect  of  still  further  needs  for  service  at  Toul, 
Cowan  drew  up  a  plan  and  prepared  the  requisition  for  a  distribution  system 
in  the  city,  involving  the  use  of  miich  aerial  cable.  Although  this  requisition 
was  approved  and  the  material  shipped,  the  406th  moved  and  another 
organization  made  the  installation.  Such,  too,  was  the  fate  of  the  cable  sys- 
tem around  Neufchateau,  plans  for  which  were  completed  by  Brittain  early  in 
February  but  executed  by  the  407th  when  the  material  was  received. 

The  Une  from  Neufchateau  to  Colombey  was  probably  the  most  satis- 


ONE    THING   AFTER    ANOTHER  125 

factory  one  which  had  been  built  by  the  Battalion.  Good  poles  and  all  other 
necessary  materials  were  available  and  there  was  an  adequate  supply  of  good 
old  American  tools.  In  addition  an  air-compressor  and  rock  drills  had  arrived. 
This  equipment  was  permanently  mounted  on  a  two-ton  truck,  both  truck  and 
machinery  being  placed  under  the  supervision  of  FuUerton  who  had  been 
particularly  successful  in  keeping  this  truck  on  the  road.  The  drills  were 
operated  by  Peterson  and  Fennell.  The  truck  was  hurried  back  and  forth 
from  one  end  of  the  job  to  the  other  as  the  drilling  machinery  was  needed — 
Fullerton  and  his  flying  crew  usually  spending  their  evenings  on  the  road. 

After  this  line  was  finished  a  critical  committee  of  section  chiefs  and  head 
linemen  inspected  it,  walking  its  length,  after  which  a  conference  was  held  and 
sections  sent  out  to  fix  up  certain  features  which  were  not  quite  up  to  standard. 
In  the  rush  work  of  the  winter  and  early  spring,  speed  had  made  it  necessary 
to  sacrifice  some  of  the  finer  points  of  the  construction  and  as  this  was  such 
a  very  important  line,  the  inspection  was  planned  to  make  certain  that  the 
whole  job  was  done  in  the  most  thorough  manner. 

In  April  Brittain  received  a  commission  as  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Signal 
Corps  and  was  ordered  to  Tours  where  he  entered  into  the  general  engineering 
work.  He  was  the  seventh  man  to  be  commissioned  without  training  other 
than  that  received  in  the  Battalion.  Brittain  in  his  new  work  for  the  Signal 
Corps  was  particularly  successful  on  submarine  cables.  This  officer  was 
warmly  greeted  by  his  old  friends  when  a  year  later  as  a  First  Lieutenant 
he  rejoined  his  former  Company  at  Brest.  The  Army  Candidates'  School  had 
been  established  at  Langres  and  early  in  the  spring  instructions  were  received 
that  two  men  from  the  Battalion  be  nominated  to  attend  the  first  class  for 
Signal  Officers.  Conwell  and  Kraus  were  entered  in  the  April  class  and  re- 
ceived their  commissions  after  completing  the  course. 

Harmonville,  Company  "D's"  headquarters  for  April  and  May,  was  a 
little  town  about  a  kilometer  east  of  the  main  highway  and  situated  on  an 
eminence.  The  principal  industry  seemed  to  be  the  raising  of  stock  and  many 
fine  horses  in  the  village  had  escaped  the  watchful  eyes  of  those  purchasing 
animals  for  the  armies.  The  barracks  were  comparatively  comfortable,  being 
floored  with  broken  stone,  and  the  people  most  cordial  toward  these  first 
American  troops  to  be  billeted  there.  However,  there  was  little  to  keep  the 
men  busy  during  the  long  evenings.  A  visit  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  warehouse  at 
Toul  brought  forth  a  supply  of  baseballs,  bats,  quoits,  volley  balls  and  boxing 
gloves.  Henceforth  the  field  around  the  barracks  resembled  a  children's 
playground.  No  matter  how  hard  the  work  was  during  the  day,  there  was 
plenty  of  activity  in  the  evening. 

One  rainy  Sunday  afternoon,  Magill  and  Thorpe  arrived  at  Harmonville 
to  announce  the  promotion  of  Lieutenant  Griest  to  the  rank  of  Captain.  The 
notice  accompanying  the  telegram  was  written  by  Lieutenant  Meigs  and 


126  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

announced  that  a  friendly  game  had  been  interrupted  to  take  care  of  this 
official  business,  and  it  would  be  necessary  for  the  one  causing  the  interruption 
to  come  immediately  to  Battalion  headquarters,  bringing  something  to  make 
this  interruption  worth  while.  When  Lieutenant  Griest  arrived  at  Neuf- 
chateau  the  "friendly"  game  ceased,  much  to  the  apparent  joy  of  Captain 
Wattles  and  Lieutenant  Macfarlan  who  seemed  to  be  financing  the  fun,  and 
after  the  oath  of  office  was  administered  by  Lieutenant  Macfarlan,  the  new 
Captain  produced  the  "something"  suggested  by  Lieutenant  Meigs.  And  the 
friendly  game  was  over  for  the  night. 


Chapter  XV 


Adventures  in  No  Mans  Land 


IN  THE  spring  of  1918,  about  twenty -five  members  of  the  Battalion 
had  some  experiences  which  are  worth  setting  down  here  as  a  separate 
chapter  in  this  story. 

The  Radio  Intelhgence  Service  estabHshed  Ustening  posts  out  in  No  Man's 
Land  for  the  purpose  of  picking  up  enemy  messages.  The  posts  were  located 
in  dugouts,  where  experienced  operators  sat  at  their  instruments.  From  each 
dugout  wires  were  strung  over  the  ground  to  the  right,  to  the  left  and  to  the 
front,  as  close  as  possible  to  the  enemy  lines.  At  the  distant  end  of  each  of 
these  wires  was  placed  a  copper  "mat"  a  couple  of  feet  square  which  was 
buried  in  the  ground.  These  mats  "picked  up"  the  electrical  impulses  of 
telephone,  telegraph  and  radio  messages.  From  the  mats  the  impulses 
traveled  over  the  wires  to  the  operators  in  the  dugouts  where  they  were 
recorded  and  then  transmitted  to  Headquarters. 

The  Radio  Intelligence  Service  was  under  the  supervision  of  a  Lieutenant 
Smith,  an  interesting  and  fearless  adventurer  who,  on  account  of  his  services 
in  Alaska,  had  been  nicknamed  "Caribou"  Smith.  The  service  was  not  under 
the  First  Army  Corps  but  reported  directly  to  General  Headquarters.  How- 
ever, as  there  was  a  shortage  of  Signal  troops  at  General  Headquarters,  the 
First  Army  Corps  was  called  on  for  men  to  take  care  of  the  installation  and 
repair  work  in  connection  with  the  listening  posts.     During  March  a  detail 

137 


128 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


from  Company  "D"  and  in  April  a  detail  from  Company  "E"  was  assigned 
to  this  work,  alternating  in  similar  manner  during  May  and  June. 

The  work  of  the  operators  kept  them  within  the  dugouts  but  the  Signal 
men  were  responsible  not  only  for  placing  the  mats  and  connecting  them  back 
to  the  instruments  in  the  dugouts  but  also  for  keeping  the  wires  intact  in  the 
midst  of  the  constant  gun  fire.  To  crawl  out  from  a  dugout,  a  coil  of  wire  on 
one  arm,  a  shovel  and  tools  on  the  other,  with  bullets  flying  overhead  and  the 
ground  torn  to  pieces  and  covered  with  barbed  wire  entanglements  was  not  a 
job  for  a  nervous  man.  In  planting  the  mats  and  in  subsequent  maintenance, 
some  dependence  could  be  placed  on  the  methodical  nature  of  the  Boche  mind. 
If  a  certain  section  in  which  a  mat  was  to  be  placed  or  wire  repaired  happened 
at  the  time  to  be  under  shell  or  machine  gun  fire,  observations  on  the  interval 
of  fire  would  determine  when  it  would  be  safe  to  do  the  work.  For  example, 
if  a  volley  splashed  forth  from  the  machine  guns  every  fifteen  minutes  and 
lasted  for  one  minute,  it  was  comparatively  safe  to  hop  out  from  shelter  as 
soon  as  the  firing  ceased,  and  to  work  for  ten  minutes  before  again  seeking 
shelter  to  await  the  next  volley. 

A  large  German  power  plant  near  the  foot  of  Montsec  at  first  interfered 
with  the  service  because  of  the  electric  current  generated  there.  Later  how- 
ever, when  Western  Electric  amplifiers  were  received,  there  was  such  an  im- 
provement that  radio  messages  from  Berlin  or  the  Eiffel  Tower  were  frequently 
picked  up. 

In  the  early  days  the  listening  posts  sometimes  overheard  conversations 
between  American  soldiers  and  made  it  possible  to  curb  thoughtless  talk  which 
enemy  listening  posts  might  overhear.  Every  effort  was  made  to  keep  in- 
formation from  the  enemy.  In  these  forward  areas-  all  names  of  towns  were 
coded  and  no  titles  used  over  the  telephone.  If  one  wanted  to  speak  to  the 
Division  Signal  Officer  at 
Menil  la  Tour,  Colonel 
Schwartz,  he  would  ask 
for  "Schwartz  at  Maxey." 
Beaumont  was  "Boston" 
and  there  were  other 
names  like  "Maine"  and 
"Mississippi"  to  remind 
one  of  home. 

The  first  detail  to  be 
engaged  in  listening  post 
duty  was  in  charge  of 
Corporal  Tritle  and  in- 
cluded   Alber,    Devlin, 

Fennell,      Lord,      Noone,  Entrance  to  Listening  Post 


ADVENTURES    IN    NO    MAN'S    LAND  129 

Peterson  and  Worrell.  They  worked  in  shifts,  four  being  on  duty  while  the 
other  four  rested.  From  time  to  time,  those  on  rest  wandered  over  to  Boucq 
to  see  their  company  friends  but  they  were  not  anxious  to  talk  of  their  experi- 
ences, preferring  to  keep  their  minds  off  the  subject.  All  these  fellows  ac- 
quired a  new  and  more  serious  expression.  It  conveyed  the  impression  that 
they,  in  their  prowlings  through  the  dangers  of  No  Man's  Land  and  their 
nights  in  the  dugouts  while  barrages  flew  in  both  directions  over  them,  had 
been  very  near  the  Great  Beyond. 

Tritle  and  Devlin  were  stationed  in  a  dugout  at  Xivray  near  the  foot  of 
Montsec,  and  Lord  and  Peterson  some  distance  beyond  Seicheprey.  From 
these  points  they  carried  picks  and  shovels  and  materials,  and  planted  the 
tell-tale  mats,  running  the  wires  back  to  the  posts.  Tritle  later  remarked, 
"We  had  plenty  of  everything  but  food;  plenty  of  rats  and  cooties  and  lots  of 
shelling  and  gas." 

The  listening  post  men,  not  being  part  of  any  divisional  organization,  were 
seldom  warned  of  impending  raids  or  attacks.  Upon  frequent  occasions  the 
troops  were  withdrawn  from  the  front  line  and  the  men  in  the  dugouts  re- 
mained, sometimes  surrounded  by  the  enemy.  Such  care  had  been  taken  in 
instructing  the  Battalion  men  in  the  use  of  gas  masks  and  in  the  seriousness  of 
gas  attacks  that  throughout  the  four  months  during  which  these  listening  post 
details  were  supplied,  there  was  not  a  single  gas  casualty  suffered  by  the  men 
of  the  406th,  although  gas  attacks  were  of  frequent  occurrence. 

Peterson  had  some  interesting  experiences  which  many  months  later  he 
agreed  to  describe: 

"They  took  us  in  trucks  to  Beaumont,  about  a  mile  back  of  the 
line.  This  was  the  limit  of  daylight  traffic  on  the  road  which  was 
at  this  point  known  as  "Dead  Man's  Curve."  It  was  constantly 
visible  from  Montsec,  the  German  stronghold,  except  where  carefully 
camouflaged  by  strips  of  burlap  stretched  between  the  trees  and 
painted  to  imitate  grass.  The  first  night  the  Lieutenant  said  he  had 
no  place  to  put  us,  and  we  had  better  look  around  for  a  place  to  camp 
for  the  night.  In  an  old  house  facing  the  road  just  one  room  had  been 
spared  by  shell  fire  and  we  climbed  into  a  couple  of  empty  bunks. 
Soon  the  shells  started  to  explode  at  close  range.  The  Boche  shelled 
this  road  each  night,  dropping  them  over  just  often  enough  to  make 
the  hauling  of  supplies  a  mighty  dangerous  job.  In  the  morning 
Alber  and  I  decided  that  we  had  better  look  for  a  dugout,  especially 
when  we  were  told  that  the  house  we  had  picked  out  was  the  worst 
place  along  the  road.  We  found  a  little  leaky  dugout  just  big  enough 
for  two,  which  nobody  seemed  to  have  discovered  and  there  we 
dropped  our  blankets  for  the  second  night. 

"Next  day  Lieutenant  Smith  came  to  Beaumont  and  said  that 
we  were  to  take  some  supplies  with  us  to  our  future  home  to  relieve 
two  of  our  men  who  had  been  there  for  four  days.    The  sign  boards 


I30 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


were  in  French  and  it  was  almost  impossible  to  know  which  forks 
and  turns  to  take.  The  ditches  all  looked  alike.  Although  the 
trenches  from  Beaumont  to  Seicheprey  were  not  so  large  they  were 
pretty  well  duck-boarded  and  drained.  At  Seicheprey  we  loaded 
up  with  coils  of  wire,  storage  batteries,  candles  and  globes  and 
started  on  the  next  hop  to  the  front.  It  would  have  been  bad  enough 
with  nothing  to  carry  as  in  many  places  the  sides  were  caved  in, 
making  a  pile  of  mud  in  the  bottom  of  the  trench.  The  duck-boards 
were  broken  and  in  some  places  entirely  missing  and  the  water  had 
accumulated  from  the  winter  rains  and  snows  to  a  depth  of  eight  or 


Ruins  of  Seicheprey 


ten  inches  for  a  hundred  yards  at  a  stretch.  If  you  happened  to  put 
your  foot  in  the  wrong  place  or  in  a  hole  in  the  duck-board,  you  would 
go  down  to  your  knees  in  mud.  We  had  to  squeeze  through  narrow 
places  with  our  loads  and  I'll  tell  you,  it  was  some  little  trip. 

"The  new  home  which  we  reached  was  a  beauty.  The  floor  was 
about  a  foot  below  the  bottom  of  the  trench  and  the  ceiling  some 
five  feet  from  the  floor,  the  room  being  about  six  feet  square.  There 
were  two  stationary  bunks,  a  chair,  and  a  board  nailed  to  the  wall 
for  a  table.  On  this  board  the  amplifier  and  globes  for  picking  up 
messages  were  placed.  When  you  stepped  on  some  of  the  boards 
in  the  floor  you  started  a  miniature  geyser.  This  home  was  on  the 
communication  trench  about  fifty  yards  from  the  front  line. 

"We  looked  over  the  place  and  rested  a  few  minutes  and  then 
started  back  to  Seicheprey  for  another  load  of  stuff.  We  had  quite 
a  job  finding  our  way  back  and  Fennell  lost  his  way.    He  climbed 


ADVENTURES    IN   NO    MAN'S    LAND  131 

out  of  the  trench  to  look  the  ground  over,  thus  getting  worse  mixed  up 
than  ever.     It  took  him  about  two  hours  to  find  his  way  in. 

"When  I  reHeved  Devhn  at  this  post  I  was  just  too  late  to  get 
any  chow  and  when  it  did  come  I  was  out  of  luck.  They  brought 
the  stuff  out  from  Seicheprey  where  it  was  cooked,  in  fireless  cooker 
cans,  and  these  kept  it  pretty  warm  if  the  carriers  did  not  get  tired  and 
stop  somewhere.  The  carriers  on  this  particular  night  were  new  to 
the  business  and  decided  it  was  easier  to  walk  on  top  than  to  slip  and 
slide  around  over  the  duck-boards.  Fritz  spotted  them,  and  just  as 
they  had  taken  the  lid  off  the  can  he  put  a  '  77 '  on  top  of  the  parapet 
where  we  were  standing  and  dumped  a  load  of  mud  and  debris  into 
the  can  and  over  us. 

"The  next  day  we  received  our  instructions.  All  we  had  to  do  was 
to  plant  a  piece  of  copper  screening  about  two  feet  square  just  as  close 
to  the  German  lines  as  we  could  get  it,  hook  one  end  of  a  coil  of 
twisted  pair  to  the  terminals  on  the  mat  and  walk  back  to  the  dugout 
with  the  other  end  of  the  coil.  Then  after  that  all  we  had  to  do  was  to 
'shoot'  trouble  on  that  line  and  on  the  lines  to  the  five  other  mats  in 
the  neighborhood. 

"The  first  night  Fritz  must  have  been  trying  to  make  somebody 
think  that  he  was  going  to  pull  off  a  raid.  For  he  dropped  over  about 
three  thousand  shells,  naturally  right  behind  the  front  lines,  and 
every  whizz  sounded  as  if  it  was  coming  right  for  the  roof  of  our 
dugout,  but  we  got  nothing  worse  than  the  pieces  thumping  against 
our  blanket  of  a  door.  In  the  morning  we  started  out  to  see  what 
had  happened.  Trouble !  If  it  were  not  for  the  work  of  hauling  the 
wire  out  from  Seicheprey  and  running  it  through  the  barbed  wire 
it  would  certainly  have  been  a  whole  lot  easier  to  run  all  new  loops 
to  the  mats.    Every  circuit  was  cut  at  least  twenty  times. 

"I  saw  right  there  where  I  had  some  job.  But  luckily  that  didn't 
happen  every  night.  The  rest  of  the  day  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  take 
that  walk  back  to  Beaumont  and  get  some  new  storage  batteries. 
I  had  always  had  the  idea  that  a  quiet  sector  was  a  place  where  days 
at  a  time  would  go  by  without  anything  happening.  Maybe  that  is 
what  they  do  call  'nothing,'  but  it  did  not  seem  like  'nothing'  to  me. 
For  every  night  there  would  be  a  half  hour's  continuous  firing,  pretty 
heavy  firing,  and  then  it  would  dwindle  down  to  one  about  every  five 
minutes.  Then  in  the  middle  of  the  night  the  gas  alarm  would  go 
off  and  we'd  have  to  lie  there  half  awake  with  gas  masks  on  for 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  'til  the  'all  clear'  came.  This  happened 
sometimes  once,  sometimes  three  or  four  times  in  a  night.  The 
third  night  we  saw  a  bunch  of  doughboys  coming  out  of  the  front 
line  and  we  asked  them  what  was  up.  'Oh,  nothing.'  Well,  we  told 
the  machine  gunners  who  had  a  dugout  just  across  the  trench  from 
us,  to  tell  us  if  anything  happened.  One  said,  'Oh,  you'll  know  all 
right — when  you  hear  our  gun  you  know  it's  time  to  go,  for  we  are 
a  rear  guard  to  cover  retreats.'  Well,  we  would  have  been  waiting 
yet  if  we  waited  for  that  gun  for  all  the  troops  were  called  out  of  the 
front  lines  that  night  in  expectation  of  an   enemy  raid   and  the 


132  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

machine  gunners  pulled  out  with  them  and  never  said  a  word  to  us 
and  we  woke  up  the  next  morning,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  out  in  No 
Man's  Land,  with  all  our  troops  behind  us.  About  nine  o'clock 
they  came  in  again  and  the  machine  gunners  informed  us  that  they 
had  forgotten  all  about  it.  I  guess  we  would  have  forgotten  all 
about  it  too  if  that  raid  had  been  pulled  off. 

"After  my  four-day  trick  was  over  I  made  a  special  trip  by  foot 
and  otherwise  to  Boucq  and  placed  my  request  for  $10,000  life 
insurance  which  two  months  previous  I  had  thrown  flat. 

"The  next  time  my  turn  came  to  go  up  to  the  dugout  I  found 
that  the  station  had  been  moved  back  to  Seicheprey.  This  Radio 
Intelligence  section  was  a  separate  and  distinct  branch  of  the  Signal 
Corps  and  all  of  its  workings  were  supposed  to  be  secret.  I  think 
that  is  the  reason  we  were  always  stuck  in  some  out  of  the  way  corner. 
We  found  our  dugout  way  over  in  the  comer  of  a  graveyard  at  least 
two  hundred  yards  from  our  nearest  living  neighbor. 

"It  was  a  much  more  comfortable  'home,'  however.  Although  it 
was  built  on  the  ground  level  it  was  at  least  five  feet  thick  on  the  side 
exposed  to  enemy  fire,  and  made  of  solid  stone  work.  The  roof  also 
must  have  been  four  feet  thick,  the  whole  being  built  from  the  ruins 
of  the  houses  of  the  village.  But  after  seeing  reinforced  concrete 
pill  boxes  eight  and  ten  feet  thick,  split  in  the  middle  by  a  well- 
directed  380  mm.  and  holes  dug  twenty  feet  under  the  ground 
caved  in  by  the  concussion  of  a  bomb,  we  realized  that  even  this 
safe  looking  place  was  only  safe  in  looks.  Just  contrary  to  our  former 
home,  this  place  was  too  big.  Our  little  charcoal  fire  had  to  stretch 
some  to  keep  it  warm  during  those  long  night  watches.  To  give  an 
idea  of  the  size,  it  contained  two  decks  of  eight  bunks  each  with  plenty 
of  space  at  the  end  for  our  instrument  table. 

"Our  lines  to  No  Man's  Land  had  been  withdrawn  and  our  two 
mats  lay  in  a  ditch  about  a  hundred  yards  away.  We  could  still 
pick  up  the  German  buzzer  messages  and  also  keep  our  own  lines 
policed.  It  seemed  pretty  soft  after  the  other  job,  but  after  all  there 
are  not  many  places  that  did  not  get  hit  by  shells  sooner  or  later  at 
that  distance  from  the  front. 

"Gas  was  giving  us  more  trouble  than  anything  else  at  this  time. 
There  were  four  of  us  on  the  job  at  this  station,  three  operators  and 
myself  to  keep  the  wires  working.  As  soon  as  I  landed  they  told  me 
that  the  Boche  had  formed  the  habit  of  throwing  a  sprinkling  of  gas 
shells  over  every  afternoon  at  about  five  o'clock.  It  was  a  very 
propitious  time  of  the  day  for  on  two  occasions  he  had  managed 
to  drop  a  couple  into  the  kitchens  around  town,  the  first  time  killing 
a  cook  and  both  times  causing  the  loss  of  a  meal  and  ruining  all  the 
rations  in  the  kitchen. 

"This  day  we  heard  the  first  one  coming  and  its  'pop'  as  it 
exploded.  We  marked  it  as  some  distance  to  the  leeward  and  took 
our  time  getting  our  masks  ready.  Others  soon  began  coming  thick 
and  fast  so  we  got  in  our  masks  and  awaited  developments.  We  saw 
everybody  getting  down  to  the  end  of  the  town  away  from  where 


ADVENTURES    IN   NO    MAN'S    LAND  133 

shells  were  falling  and  in  a  position  where  the  wind  would  carry  the 
gas  away  from  them.  I  said  that  was  the  place  for  us  and  started 
off  but  the  others  did  not  follow  me.  After  about  an  hour's  wait  the 
gas  cleared  away  and  I  started  back,  and  as  I  passed  the  Red  Cross 
station  there  lay  my  three  buddies  all  stretched  out  in  a  row  and 
in  pretty  bad  shape.  They  had  started  down  later  and  a  shell  had 
burst  right  beside  them  just  as  they  took  off  their  masks.  They  were 
sent  back  to  the  hospital  as  soon  as  an  ambulance  could  be  brought  up 
and  were  marked  unfit  for  further  front  line  duty. 

"That  night  I  spent  alone  in  my  cemetery.  I  did  not  know  a 
thing  about  how  to  run  the  instrument,  and  it  was  a  rather  delicate 
affair,  so  there  was  nothing  for  me  to  do  but  call  up  the  Lieutenant 
and  ask  him  to  send  up  three  more  operators.  Two  days  later  they 
arrived.  That  little  evening's  work  pretty  nearly  cleaned  out  our 
end  of  the  Radio  Intelligence  section. 

"The  next  day  was  bright  and  sunny  and  I  had  nothing  to  do  but 
wait  for  the  relief.  I  took  my  old  magazine  and  sat  on  a  rock  in  the 
sun  and  read.  Then  the  only  survivor  pretty  nearly  got  it !  I  had 
been  watching  a  couple  of  our  planes  trying  to  cross  the  lines  and 
incidentally  to  dodge  the  Boche  anti-aircraft  fire.  I  got  tired  look- 
ing up  and  went  on  reading,  never  noticing  that  the  planes  were 
getting  directly  overhead.  Suddenly  a  whizz — smack!  I  almost 
felt  the  wind  of  a  piece  of  shrapnel  that  dropped  out  of  the  clouds 
right  down  beside  me — so  I  took  my  book  over  in  the  shade  of  the 
dugout. 

"That  night  about  8  o'clock  we  got  another  rather  heavy  dose 
of  gas.  The  town  was  thoroughly  saturated  and  when  I  heard  a 
whistle  blow  I  went  out  to  see  what  was  happening.  The  gas  officer 
had  decided  to  evacuate  the  town  which  was  in  a  hollow,  until  it 
cleared  up.  So  he  ordered  all  the  men  to  get  blankets  and  follow 
him  to  the  hilltop  at  the  edge  of  the  town.  And  on  that  breezy  hill- 
top on  a  raw  March  night  we  settled  down  to  sleep." 

The  Company  "E"  men  comprising  the  detail  for  April  were  under  Cor- 
poral Drew  and  included  Custer,  Gallo,  Grindel,  Henry,  Leasure,  McKay 
and  McDonald.  As  was  the  case  in  March,  these  men,  not  being  under  the 
direction  of  the  Division,  were  not  warned  when  trouble  was  expected  and 
here  too  upon  several  occasions  the  division  troops  were  withdrawn  from  the 
front  lines,  leaving  the  signal  detail  marooned.  Fortunately  on  most  of  these 
occasions,  the  Boche  raids  did  not  reach  the  American  front  lines.  At  one 
time,  however,  when  Gallo,  Grindel  and  McKay  were  in  a  dugout,  the  Ger- 
mans did  come  across  and  bombed  nearly  every  dugout  in  the  American  front 
lines,  the  one  occupied  by  the  Radio  Intelligence  men  being  one  of  three  that 
escaped.  The  men  remained  at  their  station  entirely  surrounded  by  the  enemy 
until  a  counter-attack  was  started  and  the  Boches  driven  back. 

The  electrical  energy  required  by  the  amplifying  apparatus  was  furnished 
from  storage  batteries.     These  were  charged  by  the  Field  Signal  Battalion 


134 


THE    FIRST    BATTALION 


at  "Maxey"  and  delivered  to  "Boston"  by  motorcycle.  From  that  point  they 
were  carried  out  through  the  trenches  to  the  dugouts.  This  was  hazardous 
work.  Custer  it  seems,  had  a  conscientious  conception  of  the  importance  of 
his  station  and  tells  of  an  occasion  when  he  volunteered  to  obtain  new  bat- 
teries : 

"The  man  in  charge  told  me  that  the  batteries  were  nm  down 
and  unless  he  got  some  more  he  would  have  to  shut  down,  so  I 
volunteered  to  go  through  a  barrage  to  get  some.  I  had  to  go  by 
trench  and  it  took  me  three  hours  to  make  a  round  trip.  When  I 
got  out  to  where  the  batteries  were,  Corporal  Drew  was  there  and 
he  asked  me  if  I  came  out  through  the  shelling  and  I  said  'Why?' 

He  said  'Well,  all  I  have  to  say  is  you  are  a  d fool.'    I  told  him 

that  unless  I  got  back  with  the  batteries  the  station  would  have  to 
shut  down.  I  had  to  wait  a  few  minutes  as  there  were  some  Hun 
planes  overhead,  but  as  soon  as  they  were  gone  I  started  and  when 
I  was  about  half  way  I  was  knocked  down  by  three  shells  that  landed 
near  me.  I  picked  myself  up  again  and  when  almost  to  my  dugout 
two  shots  missed  me  by  a  few  feet.  There  was  a  marsh  to  the  left 
of  me  and  they  tore  an  awful  rip  in  the  water  and  I  thought  what  a 
nice  rip  they  would  have  given  me.  I  got  back  just  in  time,  as  the 
station  had  just  stopped  operating  from  the  batteries  'dying.'  " 

On  another  occasion,  realizing  the  dangers  of  repair  work  by  daylight,  the 
Radio  Intelligence  Corporal  organized  a  patrol  which  was  to  go  out  over  No 
Man's  Land  after  dark.  This  did  not  suit  Leasure.  If  there  was  a  line  to 
be  repaired  it  should  be  done  at  once.  The  Corporal  told  him  it  was  a  reckless 
and  foolhardy  undertaking  but  that  if  he  wanted  to  he  could  go  ahead.  It 
was  bright  and  clear  as  he  crawled  out  over  the  barren  strip  which  separated 
the  contending  forces.  He  followed  the  wire,  supposed  to  be  one  of  the  shorter 
ones,  examining  it  for  a  break.  As  he  crept  along  and  nothing  happened.  No 
Man's  Land  seemed  little 
different  from  any  other 
shell-torn  ground.  Soon 
he  struck  a  wire  entan- 
glement and  picked  his 
way  through.  He  did  not 
give  a  thought  to  the  fact 
that  this  barrier  would 
now  be  a  distinct  hind- 
rance should  it  be  neces- 
sary to  make  a  hurried 
retreat.  As  he  pro- 
gressed he  began  to  won- 
der at  the  veracity  of  the 
man  who  had    reported 


Standing:   King,  Leasure,  McKay,  Gallo 
Below:  Drew,  Custer,  Grindel 


nie  221.35  Badio 

HEiD^ARTERS  AHERIOin  EnEDITIOttSHY  FORCES, 
OFPICE  OF  I'HE  CHIEF  SIGllAL  OFFICER. 

26  ^pril,  1918. 

Prom:  Chiof  Elgnal  Officer,  imorioan  Expeditionary  Forces. 

Tot  Officer  in  Cliargo,  Radio  DiviBion,  O.C.S.O.,  a.E.F. 

Subjuct:     Operators  of  l.S.F.2. 

1.  Report  fonrardod  by  Captain  lo^ir;'  coverine  the  excellent  worit  of  Sergeant 
Bugone  Peterson  and  Corporal  i'anl  B.  Herrold,  of  the  Radio  Intelligence  Service,  3ig^ 
nal  Oorpe,  aai  Privates  lIoKay,  Grlndell  and  Gjllow,  of  Oonpany  E,  406th  Telegrajli 
Battalion,  'Jlgnal  Corp;^,   tcjnp.rarily  attcchcd  to  the  I^adio  Intelligence  Service  a£ 
linaBwn  aaid  substltntes  for  Llstemlng  st^tl■^n  Ko.  2,  daring  20  and  21  _pril,  at  the 
tlm-i  of  the  offoncivfl  on  the  26th  Divisi  :r.Ll   front,  has  been  received* 

2.  'i^o  coolneGc,   steadfastness  and  resourcefulness  shown  by  these  men  under 
the  trying  conditions  reported  by  Lieut.  Thompson  is  a  source  of  satisfaction,  aid 
it  is  requested  that  you  indicate  to  thein  personally,  and  through  publication  of 
this  letter  in  your  '■■'eokly  Bulletin,  ny  appreciation  of  their  actions  at  this  time. 

E.  IBSSELL, 
Brl£fadiei^General,    H.  nm, 
C.S.O. 

221.35  Radio  1st  Ind. 

!K.  C.Oj:.,  A.EJ'.,  O.C.3.O.,  26  April,  1910  -  Ic  Captain  Robert  lojjuy.  Radio  Int. 
Officer,  S.C.,  G.H....,  American  EJ'.t 

1.  Inviting  attention  to  the  coixaendation  above  from  the  Chief  Si^ial  Officer. 

2.  Ihe  work  of  tho  acn  i.:entioned  has  b06ia  noted  on  the  records  of  this  office. 
By  Direction: 

Uajor,  Signal  Cons,  T:.S.A. 
O.BU.O.,  R.D.,  S.C.,  ii^.i.,  k.'SJI.,  llay  7,  1916. 

Copy  furnished  '''omvuirtlnc  Officer,  40£th  Telegraph  Battalion,  Signal  Corps. 


Robert  Lo^^iry, 
C«pt.,SC.,lER. 


Commendation  for  Gallo,  Grindel  and  McKay 


135 


136  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

that  this  was  a  short  Une.  Again  he  met  an  entanglement,  this  time  of 
barbed  wire,  and  after  he  had  wormed  his  way  through  he  straightened 
himself  slightly  to  stretch  his  muscles.  A  rifle  cracked.  Zing!  A  bullet 
sped  past  his  head.  No  orders  were  necessary.  He  dropped  like  a  log  and 
slid  into  a  shell  hole.  He  began  for  the  first  time  to  think  that  perhaps  the 
corporal  was  right.  After  things  seemed  quiet  he  crawled  out  of  the  shell 
hole  but  this  time  wiggling  along  flat  on  the  ground  and  twenty  feet  further 
he  found  that  the  wire  had  worked  loose  from  the  terminal  on  the  copper 
mat.  The  damage  was  quickly  repaired.  He  managed  to  get  back  to  the 
dugout  just  as  the  corporal  had  collected  a  patrol  to  go  out  to  search  for  him. 
Gallo,  one  of  the  men  trapped  by  the  Boche  raid  on  Seicheprey,  has  given 
this  modest  story  of  his  experiences: 

"We  had  four  mats,  something  like  a  wire  screen,  about  twenty- 
four  by  thirty  inches.  These  were  buried  in  the  ground  about  a  foot 
deep — one  north,  one  south,  one  east,  and  one  west — from  one  to  two 
hundred  feet  away  from  our  station,  the  connection  made  with  twisted 
pair.  We  had  a  four-point  control  switch  in  the  office  so  that  we 
could  switch  the  mats  singly  or  in  pairs. 

"The  amplifiers  were  quite  sensitive.  We  could  pick  up  all  the 
conversations  over  our  own  American  telephones,  field  buzzers,  etc., 
as  well  as  the  French  and  German  telephones  and  telegraph.  Our 
duties  were  to  listen  in  and  put  down  in  writing  everything  that 
was  heard,  so  we  were  playing  spy  both  on  our  men  and  the  Germans. 
The  Germans  made  very  little  use  of  their  telephones  at  this  point, 
but  their  field  buzzers  and  wireless  were  used  considerably.  During 
my  first  watch  of  four  hours  I  copied  sixteen  pages  of  conversations, 
buzzers,  wireless,  etc. 

"Our  first  week  was  uneventful.  They  shelled  us  continually 
during  the  day.  There  was  a  barrage  every  night  about  nine,  usually 
lasting  until  eleven  or  twelve.  Our  Infantry  fell  back  frequently,  but 
we  were  never  notified  as  no  one  in  charge  seemed  to  know  where 
we  were  or  what  we  were  doing. 

"After  six  days  we  were  relieved  and  sent  to  Toul.  In  another  six 
days  we  returned  on  our  second  shift.  On  April  21st  the  Germans 
pulled  off  an  attack.  The  barrages  started  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  kept  on  advancing.  About  five-thirty  or  six  o'clock  the 
barrage  passed  over  us.  The  Germans  were  soon  all  around  us,  past 
us  and  everywhere,  but  some  way  or  other  they  missed  our  place. 
Our  station  was  kept  working  until  six  in  the  morning  but  then  the 
noise  was  so  terrific,  our  lines  were  so  shot  up,  and  the  Germans 
were  so  close,  that  we  could  do  nothing.  Our  orders  were  to  keep 
the  station  going  as  long  as  possible.  The  day  before  we  had  received 
a  Western  Electric  amplifier  and  telephones  and  had  specific  orders, 
in  case  of  an  attack  or  of  being  cornered,  to  dismantle  the  station  and 
destroy  instruments  before  the  Germans  got  hold  of  them.  So  we 
had  everything  in  readiness  to  destroy  all  instruments.    The  station 


ADFENTURES    IN   NO    MAN'S    LAND  137 

records  I  hid  under  some  stones  near  our  place.  At  seven  o'clock 
our  station  was  reconnected  as  the  Germans  were  pushed  back  and 
imminent  danger  of  their  getting  our  equipment  had  passed. 

"The  first  night  following  the  battle  we  gathered  up  all  the  rein- 
forcements we  could  get  which  were  four  artillery  men,  four  infantry 
men  and  two  or  three  runners,  in  all  thirteen  or  fourteen  men.  We 
had  our  pistols,  one  automatic  rifle  and  seven  or  eight  ordinary  rifles 
and  a  few  grenades.  Starting  at  five  in  the  afternoon,  every  man  of 
our  force  had  to  stand  one  hour  watch  during  the  night.  Another 
barrage  started  about  3 :30,  but  lasted  only  a  few  hours.  This  night 
we  were  prepared  for  almost  anything  but  nothing  turned  up. 

"The  day  after  the  raid  our  Lieutenant  had  searched  everywhere, 
all  the  field  hospitals  and  bases  as  well,  but  could  not  locate  us. 
They  gave  us  up  as  either  killed  or  captured  but  at  last  they  found  us 
and  we  were  ordered  out  and  dismantled  the  station  entirely." 

On  account  of  the  conduct  of  the  men  at  the  listening  post  during  this 
Seicheprey  raid,  the  Chief  Signal  Officer  wrote  a  letter  commenting  upon  their 
"coolness,  steadfastness  and  resourcefulness  under  trying  conditions." 

Service  in  the  listening  posts  continued  during  May  and  June,  each  com- 
pany completing  two  tours  of  duty.  The  responsibility  was  taken  over  by 
the  Army  Signal  troops  when  the  406th  hurried  to  the  Marne  with  the  First 
Army  Corps  late  in  June. 


iOSiv— ^:?^>^-^:7?k::;.,s=^ 


Chapter  XVI 


''JVher-e  Do   We   Go  from  Heref 


VERSATILITY  might  be  called  an  outstanding  characteristic  of  the  men 
of  the  Battalion.  A  shining  example  of  this  trait,  and  almost  the  same 
story  might  have  been  told  by  any  other  member  of  the  Battalion,  is 
the  following  fromFest:  "Starting  at  Chaumont  I  was  official  bugler,  bar- 
ber, K.  P.,  post-hole  digger,  pole-setter,  mule-driver,  tree-trimmer,  mailman, 
general  interpreter,  custodian  of  bicycles.  Ford  windshield  manufacturer  and 
fire  marshal;  at  Rimacourt,  M.  P.;  at  Marnay,  country  storekeeper  and 
medical  man;  at  Vaucouleurs,  motorcycle  driver." 

Koser  gives  an  example  of  the  same  trait.  "Sergeant  Binder  said  one  day, 

"  'Can  you  ride  a  motorcycle?' 

"  'Sure!'  said  I.  I  never  had,  but  I  scented  excitement.  I  reported  to  the 
Major  and  swore  I  could  ride  anything  on  two  wheels.  I  was  ordered  to 
Chaumont  on  a  small  8-cy Under  English  motorcycle.  I  studied  the  instruction 
book  a  bit,  said  a  prayer,  wished  myself  luck,  climbed  aboard,  shut  my  eyes 
and  let  'er  go.  As  I  left  the  court,  a  Captain  was  entering.  Lucky  thing 
for  him  that  he  was  quick  on  his  feet.  He  did  not  have  a  chance  to  say  a 
word  for  I  was  a  mile  down  the  road  before  he  knew  what  had  happened." 

Tact  was  another  outstanding  quality.  "Slim"  Spangler  was  the  star 
"tactitian."  At  a  public  bathhouse  at  Neuf chateau  he  wandered  about 
looking  for  a  vacant  dressing  room.     He  came  to  one  which  was  apparently 


13S 


"WHERE    DO    WE    GO   FROM   HERE?"  139 

unoccupied.  He  tried  the  door.  A  woman  screamed.  "Pardon  Monsieur, 
pardon  Monsieur",  said  "Slim"  as  he  backed  away. 

The  continued  German  successes  during  the  Spring  of  191 8  made  the  First 
Army  Corps  restless.  Some  of  the  divisions  were  in  the  trenches  but  not 
under  American  tactical  command.  There  was  a  feeling  that  an  American 
Army  under  American  command,  trained  in  the  American  theory,  viz.,  suc- 
cessful warfare  can  be  waged  only  by  an  army  instilled  with  the  offensive 
rather  than  the  defensive  idea,  would  show  the  Boche  a  trick  or  two.  Time 
and  again  it  was  rumored  that  the  First  Corps  would  be  concentrated.  But 
the  German  advance  to  the  west  made  the  situation  so  critical  that  the  di- 
visions could  not  be  collected  and  the  First  Corps  continued  in  administrative 
command  only. 

The  area  surrounding  Corps  Headquarters  was  covered  with  French 
military  and  civil  wires.  It  seemed  superfluous  therefore  to  extend  the  con- 
struction of  American  telephone  lines.  Negotiations  with  the  French  resulted 
in  the  acquisition  of  a  number  of  leased  circuits.  One  long  line  was  built  up 
by  connecting  together  French  wires  from  Neufchateau  by  way  of  Bar  le  Due 
and  Souilly  to  the  Headquarters  of  the  Second  Division  at  Sommedieu  near 
Verdun ;  another  connected  the  Forty-second  Division  at  Baccarat  by  way  of 
Nancy  to  Corps  Headquarters,  American  built  circuits  reaching  from  that 
point  to  the  Twenty-sixth  Division  at  Boucq.  During  the  negotiations, 
although  both  the  Major  and  Captain  Gauss  had  acquired  a  fair  French 
vocabulary,  Thevelin's  services  were  most  necessary  and  he  was  ordered  to 
report  at  Battalion  Headquarters.  With  much  protest  and  after  many  good- 
byes, Thevelin  insisting  "I  belongs  to  Coompanie  'D',"  departed  from  Har- 
monville,  remarking  dejectedly:  "Last  year  on  my  birthday  I  am  wounded. 
This  year  I  leaves  Coompanie  'D.'     I  don't  want  other  birthdays  to  come." 

Around  Neufchateau  there  were  many  interesting  mademoiselles.  One  of 
the  chauffeurs  of  Company  "E"  became  interested  in  a  particularly  attractive 
one.  That  she  was  the  daughter  of  the  village  coffin  maker  did  not  deter  the 
gay  suitor.  One  evening  he  called  on  her,  wearing  a  new  raincoat  of  which  he 
was  very  proud.  It  made  quite  an  impression  on  the  cherie.  However,  other 
subjects  so  distracted  the  mind  of  the  caller  that  he  forgot  to  take  it  when 
he  left.  A  few  days  later  it  rained  and  he  was  not  quite  certain  as  to  where  he 
had  left  the  slicker.  He  called  on  the  coffin  maker's  daughter  but  she  said 
very  sweetly  that  she  knew  nothing  about  it.  He  was  somewhat  surprised 
when  the  Battalion  marched  out  of  Neufchateau  in  the  rain,  to  see  his  sweet- 
heart waving  an  enthusiastic  farewell,  clad  in  the  lost  coat. 

A  miscellany  of  small  jobs  took  up  the  latter  part  of  April  and  May.  The 
headquarters  of  an  air  group  was  established  at  Ourches  and  a  circuit  was 
built  to  connect  it  to  the  line  leading   north   from  Vaucouleurs.     The   air 


LIFE    IN    FRANCE 


140 


"WHERE    DO    WE   GO   FROM   HERE?"  141 

group  had  erected  a  new  pole  line  upon  which  the  telephone  wires  were  strung 
by  Company  "D."  After  the  job  was  completed  a  complaint  reached  the 
Battalion  to  the  effect  that  the  Ourches  switchboard  could  not  get  satisfactory 
connections  over  this  line.  An  investigation  disclosed  the  fact  that  the  air 
group  had  decided  after  the  wires  were  placed,  to  reroute  the  pole  line.  Being 
short  of  poles  they  took  out  a  dozen  of  those  to  which  the  telephone  wires 
were  attached,  leaving  a  long  span  of  wire  without  support.  The  commander 
of  the  air  group  when  he  knew  the  facts,  absolved  the  Battalion  from  blame 
for  the  poor  service.  As  the  French  were  building  a  new  line  across  the  coun- 
try permission  was  obtained  to  attach  the  wires  to  this  line.  Satisfactory 
service  was  thus  reestablished.  Two  other  air  fields  were  prepared,  one 
north  of  Vaucouleurs  and  one  north  of  Toul.  These  were  also  wired  and 
connected  to  the  American  system. 

Kelly,  a  little  Irishman  from  Texas  was  assigned  to  the  Battalion  as  a 
telegraph  operator,  and  stationed  at  Toul.  One  day  "Uncle,"  as  Colonel 
Voris  was  familiarly  known,  walked  into  the  office.  Kelly  was  sweeping 
and  as  soon  as  he  spied  the  Colonel,  he  dropped  the  broom  and  stood  at 
attention.  He  looked  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left.  Voris  looked  at 
Kelly  and  said : 

"One  day  when  I  come  in  here  the  406th  is  as  military  as  h .     The 

next  time  I  come  in  they  don't  know  a  thing  about  it." 

Kelly  remained  stiff  as  a  broomstick. 

"You  don't  like  my  jokes  do  you,  Kelly?"  asked  Voris. 

"Y-Y-Yes,  Sir,"  stammered  Kelly. 

"D it!    Why  don't  you  stand  at  ease  then?" 

There  were  so  many  circuits  now  in  the  northern  area  that  Captain  Gauss, 
who  was  charged  with  the  general  supervision  of  maintenance,  decided  to 
establish  a  testing  station  at  Vaucouleurs.  There  were  no  American  troops 
in  the  town  at  the  time,  but  a  small  room  was  obtained  not  far  fx  om  the  rail- 
road along  which  the  principal  lines  were  located.  Bailey  put  up  his  test 
boards  and  with  Green  and  Callahan,  took  over  the  test  station  and  the 
maintenance  of  the  lines.  Harris,  who  upon  the  completion  of  the  circuits 
to  Menil  la  Tour  had  remained  with  the  Signal  men  of  the  First  and  Twenty- 
sixth  Divisions,  also  came  under  the  supervision  of  this  station. 

The  French  insisted  that  all  repairs  on  lines  leased  from  them  should  be 
done  by  French  troops.  They  asked  that  when  cases  of  trouble  developed, 
reports  should  be  made  to  them.  This  practice,  however,  usually  resulted  in 
delays  and  consequently  telephones  were  almost  certain  to  remain  out  of  ser- 
vice for  days  until  the  French  would  clear  the  trouble.  This  was  not  the  kind 
of  maintenance  the  men  of  the  Battalion  were  accustomed  to,  and  it  was  not 
infrequent  when  trouble  developed,  for  one  of  the  men  to  slip  out  of  camp  and 


142 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


1  and  2 — A  Couple  of  Lieut.  Meigs'  Pole  Yards 
3— "Woe  to  the  Man  Who  Was  Late  at  Reveille!" 

clear  the  trouble  before  the  reports  were  made  to  the  French.     Harris  became 
an  expert  at  this  "gum-shoe"  work. 

Some  of  the  leased  French  circuits  developed  queer  symptoms,  becoming 
veritable  will-o'-the-wisps.  Time  after  time  the  lines  were  out  of  order. 
And  each  time  the  line  "came  clear"  before  the  trouble  cotJld  be  located.  An 
inspection  trip  was  made  over  the  line.  The  French  were  found  to  be  string- 
ing a  new  circuit  on  the  same  poles  with  the  leased  circuits,  apparently  ob- 
livious to  the  fact  that  the  new  wire  was  "crossing"  the  working  circuits. 
After  a  conference,  the  French  agreed  to  allow  the  Americans  to  take  care  of 
the  leased  circuits  until  the  French  linemen  finished  their  job.  The  French 
method  of  stringing  wire  was  primitive.  Two  men,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
pole  line,  carried  the  coils  unwinding  them  as  they  walked  along.  The  climber 
accompanying  these  men,  as  each  pole  was  reached,  pulled  the  wire  tight  by 
hand  and  made  it  fast.  The  new  circuit  was  being  placed  on  the  top  brackets 
of  the  poles  and  what  was  happening  to  the  lower  circuits  as  they  became 
crossed  and  short  circuited  by  the  new  wire  may  readily  be  seen.  Dickson 
took  charge  of  the  maintenance  and  his  men  laid  emergency  wire  along  the 
ground  where  the  French  were  working  and  connected  this  for  use  in  place  of 
the  circuits  on  the  poles.  As  soon  as  the  French  had  completed  a  section,  the 
emergency  wire  was  moved  on  and  the  regular  circuits  restored  to  service. 


WHERE    DO    WE   GO   FROM   HERE?" 


'43 


Business  to  the  north  increased  and  the  circuit  which  had  been  "cut"  to 
connect  Ourches,  or  "Flying  Fish"  as  it  was  coded,  was  needed  for  "through" 
messages.  Further,  this  air  group  at  Ourches  required  several  additional  lines. 
Lieutenant  Price  made  a  survey  of  a  route  from  the  air  field  across  the  meadows 
to  the  main  highway  west  of  Pagny,  there  to  connect  with  the  French  leased 
circuits.  But  authority  to  build  the  line  was  not  obtained  imtil  the  day  before 
it  was  required.  Consequently  it  was  necessary  for  the  entire  Company  to 
pitch  in,  digging  holes,  hauling  poles,  distributing  material  and  stringing  wire. 

The  Directeur  of  the  Bureau  des  Pastes  at  Toul  sent  a  lineman  to  Pagny  to 
point  out  the  French  circuits  to  be  used  in  making  the  connection.  Each 
French  lineman  had  his  own  sections  in  which  he  worked  and  the  only  record  of 
circuits  and  poles  seemed  to  be  contained  in  the  little  memorandiun  book  car- 
ried in  his  pocket.  The  lineman  appeared  at  the  junction  with  his  book  and 
designated  the  wires  to  be  used.  Harris  however,  had  already  been  testing 
out  the  various  circuits  and  disagreed  with  the  Frenchman.  There  was  no 
chance  for  an  argument  with  the  latter  for  he  evidently  had  a  high  regard  for 
American  telephone  men.  He  readily  agreed  with  Harris  and  to  show  that  his 
heart  was  in  the  right  place,  he  changed  the  notes  in  his  book  to  correspond. 
The  line  was  completed  three  hours  earlier  than  had  been  promised.  A  small 
distribution  system  was  placed  at  the  Ourches  flying  field.  And  here,  as  in 
similar  installations  near  Vaucouleurs  and  Toul,  all  circuits  to  the  hangars  and 
around  the  fields  were  for  obvious  reasons  placed  underground. 

Lieutenant  Meigs'  pole  records  by  this  time  had  become  extremely  com- 
plex. Poles  had  been  obtained  from  various  yards  and  by  the  authority  of 
various  Directeurs  des  Pastes,  usually  in  a  hurry,  and  the  memoranda  which 
the  Supply  Officer  received  were  not  always  dependable.  He  therefore 
organized  a  system  of  American  pole  yards  at  various  convenient  locations. 
The  poles  usually  arrived 
on  Sundays  and  freight 
cars  had  to  be  unloaded 
promptly.  Woe  to  the 
man  who  was  late  at  rev- 
eille! He  was  sure  to 
receive  an  assignment  to 
the  next  Sunday  unload- 
ing job.  Speaking  of 
speed  in  getting  ready  for 
reveille,  Jerry  Donbaugh 
and  Sam  Bigham  were 
the  prize  winners.     It  is 

said  that    at    the    call,  all  "Officers  Are  Never  Satisfied,  Anyway! 


144 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Jerry  had  to  do  was  put  on  his  boots.  With  Sam  it  was  said  to  be  different. 
He  had  to  throw  back  his  blankets  and  Hght  his  pipe  before  he  was  prepared 
for  the  day. 

"African  golf,"  "leaping  dominoes,"  or  just  plain  "craps,"  was  the  favorite 
indoor  sport  in  the  A.  E.  F.  immediately  following  pay  day.  One  night  in 
the  barracks  at  Neufchateau  there  were  several  games  in  progress.  For  some 
reason — beer  fini,  perhaps — the  Cafe  Vallon  was  not  patronized.  "Big  Dick" 
and  "Little  Joe"  have  a  musical  sound  to  the  American  ear,  but  "Grande 
Richard"  and  "Petit  Gho"  present  difficulties.     However,  the  "bones"  will 


Another  View  of  Harmonville 


roll  just  as  well  for  francs,  even  though  they  do  look  like  cigarette  coupons, 
as  for  "two-bit"  pieces.  As  the  money  gravitated  to  a  few  pockets,  the 
games  decreased  in  number  until  there  was  just  one  game  going — and  this  was 
composed  of  the  winners  of  the  other  games.  But  before  the  money  could 
accumulate  in  any  one  pocket  somebody  discovered  a  cootie  and  "rolling  the 
bones"  degenerated  into  "reading  shirts."  It  was  said  that  this  was  the  first, 
last,  and  only  time  that  cooties  broke  up  a  crap  game  in  the  406th. 

The  scattered  construction  details  and  maintenance  responsibilities  during 
the  period  of  watchful  waiting  at  Neufchateau  did  not  keep  the  men  suffi- 
ciently busy  to  suit  those  in  command.  Officers  are  never  satisfied,  anyway! 
So  a  drill  and  training  program  was  arranged  which  included  athletic  games. 
At  Neufchateau  Company  "E"  had  the  use  of  various  fields,  but  at  Harmon- 


WHERE   DO    WE   GO   FROM   HERE? 


H5 


ville  the  entire  countryside  was  under  cultivation,  and  the  setting-up  exer- 
cises and  drills  were  held  in  the  town.  The  first  day  provided  an  excuse  for  a 
town  holiday  to  see  the  Captain  shout  his  commands  from  a  manure  wagon. 
The  first  week  ended  with  a  Battalion  review  on  a  field  near  Neufchateau. 
New  instructions  had  been  issued  for  the  operation  of  truck  trains  and  convoys, 
and  the  trip  from  Harmonville  was  used  for  practice.  At  the  review,  as  the 
two  Companies  were  lined  up  at  attention,  Major  Hubbell  called  Gallo,  Grindel 


The  Pistol  Match 


The  Ball  Game 


AFTER    THE     REVIEW    AT     NEUFCHATEAU 


and  McKay  of  Company  "E"  to  the  front  and  read  the  letter  of  commenda- 
tion received  for  their  action  during  the  German  raid  at  Seicheprey  while  they 
were  on  listening  post  duty. 

After  the  review  the  Battalion  marched  into  Neufchateau  where  Vance 
had  prepared  mess.  This  was  followed  by  a  pistol  match  between  picked 
teams  from  the  two  Companies,  "E"  winning  by  a  narrow  margin.  Then 
came  a  ball  game  and  when  it  was  called  off  on  account  of  rain  "D"  was  so 
far  in  the  lead  that  all  count  of  the  score  had  been  lost.  The  "D"  men  had 
their  revenge  for  the  drubbing  "E"  had  given  them  two  or  three  weeks  before. 
There  was  plenty  of  "African  golf"  to  satisfy  all.    As  a  matter  of  fact  it  was 


146 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


The  Practice  Move 

said  that  in  the  406th  this  game  reached  the  highest  state  of  perfection  the 
world  has  ever  known. 

There  was  an  unfortunate  incident  connected  with  this  reunion.  As  the 
Companies  marched  down  the  road  from  the  parade  ground  "Smoke,"  the 
mascot  who  had  been  with  Company  "E"  since  the  early  days  at  Monmouth 
Park,  was  run  over  and  killed  by  a  dispatch  rider.  There  were  real  tears 
shed  as  Company  "E"  buried  him  near  a  pine  woods  just  north  of  Neufchateau. 

A  number  of  dilapidated  trucks  were  turned  over  to  the  Battalion  at  this 
time.  They  had  supposedly  outlived  their  usefulness,  but  after  being  over- 
hauled by  the  motor  men  of  the  406th  were  put  to  work.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  some  of  the  revamped  relics  were  still  in  active  service  with  the 
Battalion  when  the  Armistice  was  signed. 

When  the  Motor  Transport  Corps  was  organized,  men  from  all  signal 
tmits  hastened  to  the  coast  before  the  new  organization  began  to  function,  to 
collect  trucks  shipped  to  the  Signal  Corps.  Urflfer,  Gruninger  and  Orr  pro- 
ceeded to  La  Pallice  and  the  trucks,  although  as  yet  without  bodies,  were 
loaded  with  engineer  supplies  for  the  base  being  established  at  Gievres.  From 
this  point  the  convoy  moved  to  Nevers  to  secure  bodies.  The  Boche  drive 
toward  Paris  was  then  at  its  height.     The  entire  train  was  loaded  with  Signal 


WHERE    DO    WE    GO    FROM   HERE?" 


147 


Corps  supplies  and  started  toward  the  front,  via  Paris.  But  at  Paris  it  was 
held  for  fifteen  days  and  then  sent  to  Lieusant.  After  unloading  it  was 
directed  to  return  to  Nevers.  "D"  Company  was  without  the  services  of  its 
shop  foreman  and  two  of  its  best  chauffeurs  all  this  time.  It  was  not  until 
July,  at  La  Ferte,  after  twelve  hundred  miles  of  traveling  that  they  rejoined 
the  Battalion. 

Shortly  after  the  review  it  was  decided  to  move  "D"  Company  to  Neuf- 
chateau  to  facilitate  Battalion  drills.  The  move  from  Harmonville  was  made 
strictly  in  accordance  with  the  new  regulations  governing  truck  convoys. 
The  trip  was  slow  and  hot  and  dusty  but  by  noon  the  barracks  on  the  hill 
north  of  Rouceux  were  occupied. 

During  the  ensuing  days  everything  was  put  in  shape  for  a  move  to  any 
point  on  the  entire  western  front.  Under  the  supervision  of  Lieutenants 
Foust  and  Price  tools  and  material  were  carefully  weighed  with  a  view  to  ascer- 
taining what,  in  addition  to  the  men  and  their  baggage,  might  be  carried  on 
the  Battalion  trucks.  It  was  found  that  enough  equipment  could  be  carried  to 
install  a  system  of  three  switchboard  positions  and  seventy-five  telephones,  to 
build  twenty  kilometers  of  eight-wire  line,  thirty  kilometers  of  two-wire  line, 
and  about  fifty  kilometers  of  insulated  field  line.  In  addition  to  this  material 
the  Battalion  carried  a  complete  machine  shop  with  each  Company  and  the 
gasoline  engine  with  its  air  compressor  and  pneumatic  rock  drill  apparatus. 

With  fuel  aboard,  this  train  of  thirty  trucks,  six  light  delivery  trucks, 
three  touring  cars,  twenty-one  motorcycles  and  the  wheezy  and  complaining 
ambulance  could  travel  two  hundred  and  fifty  kilometers. 

Loading  schedules  were  prepared  and  a  program  arranged  whereby  on 
short  notice  a  practice  move  could  be  made.  Various  sections  of  the  barracks 
were  designated  as  freight  cars  and  surplus  material,  tools  and  winter  clothing, 
which  at  the  time  was 
entirely  unnecessary, 
were  "loaded"  for  ship- 
ment. On  Monday  May 
twenty-seventh  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening 
the  order  arrived  for  the 
trial  trip.  By  two  the 
next  morning  everything 
was  in  readiness.  The  con- 
voy was  formed  at  eight 
after  a  fast  and  furious 
inspection  of    ail  of  the 

quarters  and  grounds.  "Smoke."     "Hardtack"  in  the  Background 


148 


THE    FIRST    BATTALION 


On  the  Line  frora  Colombey  to  Franconvul^ 


Captain  Gauss  had  been  transferred  to  the  Chief  Signal  Ofhce  of  the  Corps, 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  move  Lieutenant  Price  was  taken  from  "D"  Com- 
pany to  become  BattaHon  Adjutant.  Lieutenants  Foust,  Hasskarl  and 
Suddath  had  been  sent  to  the  Signal  School  at  Gondrecourt  and,  with  the 
exception  of  Donaldson,  the  lieutenants  who  were  attached  to  the  Battalion 
for  training  had  left.  With  a  scanty  remnant  of  officers  the  column  started. 
There  were  many  halts  diuing  the  morning  for  adjustments  of  loads  and  the 
noon  mess  was  held  just  outside  of  Certellieux.  In  the  afternoon  the  convoy 
moved  steadily  along  until  it  reached  Sartes,  the  end  of  the  journey.  The 
return  trip  on  the  following  day  went  along  without  a  hitch,  demonstrating 
the  value  of  the  practice.  An  inspection  was  ordered  for  all  motor  vehicles 
and  personal  equipment  within  five  hours  after  the  units  returned  to  camp. 
But  a  new  job  arose  and  "E"  Company  escaped  the  inspection. 

Company  "E's"  assignment  was  the  construction  of  a  line  to  connect 
a  headquarters  of  British  bombing  squadrons  at  Autigny  with  American 
Headquarters  at  Chaumont.  The  British  General  was  in  a  hurry  for  the 
service.  Captain  Wattles  with  his  Company  and  with  Fullerton  and  his  air 
outfit  beat  the  schedule,  completing  the  circuits  before  the  British  Signal  men 
were  ready  to  use  them.  The  British  Commander  was  duly  appreciative  and 
expressed  his  feeling  in  a  letter  to  the  Chief  Signal  Officer. 

By  proclamation  of  General  Pershing,  Memorial  Day  was  set  aside  as  a 
holiday  on  which  honor  would  be  paid  to  the  growing  list  of  American  dead. 
The  men  of  the  Battalion  contributed  funds  with  which  a  stone  slab  and 
cross  had  been  purchased  and  erected  over  Hollowell's  grave.  Arrangements 
were  made  with  a  Y.  M.  C.<  A.  worker.  Rev.  Smith,  formerly  a  Methodist 
minister   in   Pasadena,    California,    to   conduct  services.     Both  Companies 


WHERE    DO    WE   GO    FROM   HERE?" 


149 


scoured  the  neighborhood  for  flowers  and  when  the  procession  started  from 
"D"  Company's  barracks  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  each  section  chief  carried  a 
bouquet  collected  by  his  men.  Company  "E"  fell  into  the  column  as  it 
passed  their  barracks  and  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  the  minister  joined  the  procession 
which  marched  to  the  Rouceux  cemetery.  The  Battalion  was  formed  around 
the  grave  and  one  by  one  the  section  chiefs  deposited  their  flowers.  Reverend 
Smith  based  his  remarks  on  the  faithfulness  of  Hollowell,  made  a  plea  that 
the  men  give  a  good  account  of  themselves  and  ended  with  a  prayer  that  they 
all  might  profit  by  the  lesson  taught  by  Hollowell's  character.  After  taps  by 
Fest  and  Hale,  the  men  silently  returned  to  their  quarters. 

June  dragged  along  and  the  First  Corps  still  remained  at  Neufchateau. 
To  be  sure,  there  were  miscellaneous  jobs  to  occupy  the  time.  A  section  from 
Company  "E"  was  sent  under  Lieutenant  Donaldson  and  Electrician  Dickson 
to  Goviller  to  build  a  line  for  the  British  Air  Service,  a  large  independent  unit 
of  which  had  been  located  in  the  Baccarat  sector.  The  line  extended  from 
Colombey  les  Belles  to  Franconville,  the  Headquarters  of  the  British  General. 
The  Company  "E"  detachment  was  the  first  group  of  Americans  to  be  seen 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Goviller  and  the  camp,  particularly  the  kitchen,  drew 
the  usual  crowd  of  curious  civilians.  The  detachment  remained  at  Goviller 
for  a  few  days,  many  of  the  men  being  laid  up  with  the  "three-day  fever,"  a 
light  form  of  influenza.  The  next  jump  was  to  Crantenoy  from  which  place 
the  circuits  were  continued  to  Bayon.  At  Crantenoy  tents  were  pitched  in  a 
large  field  adjacent  to  a  chateau,  the  occupants  of  which  claimed  to  be  descen- 
dants of  an  ancient  King  Daglebert  and  they  welcomed  the  Signal  men,  enter- 
taining them  royaUy.  Thence  the  circuits  passed  through  the  old  cities  of 
Vezelise  and  Tantonville.  The  streets  in  these  towns  were  extremely  crooked 
and  all  of  the  wire  fixtures  were  placed  on  the  tops  of  steep  roofed  buildings 
which  slowed  up  the  work.  There  was  in  Tantonville  one  of  the  largest  brew- 
eries in  France  and  this  did  not  speed  the  construction. 

The  epidemic  of  "flu" 
hit  the  camp  at  Neufcha- 
teau. It  went  through 
barracks  and  tents  at- 
tacking practically  every 
one.  It  also  caught  the 
detachments  which  were 
billeted  in  Madame 
Garcin's  garage.  These 
latter  were  cared  for  most 
solicitously.     They  were 

put    to    bed    and     served  Taps  by  Fest  and  Hale 


I50 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Mme.  Garcin 
and  Capt.  Griest 


Mme.  Garcin's  Home 


with  the  best  of  food  and  were 
not  allowed  to  move  until  Ma- 
dame pronounced  them  well. 

When  the  line  to  Bayon  had 
been  completed  Lieutenant  Don- 
aldson moved  his  detachment  to 
Baccarat  to  take  up  the  construc- 
tion of  signal  lines  for  the  light  railways  leading  toward  the  front.  Tentative 
plans  covering  these  lines  had  been  prepared  at  Tours  and  showed  the  rail- 
ways extending  across  No  Man's  Land  and  into  the  trenches  occupied  by  the 
Germans !  Needless  to  say,  all  the  material  suggested  by  the  original  plans  was 
not  required.  The  detachment  was  billeted  in  a  large  glass  factory,  the  ground 
floor  being  occupied  by  over  a  thousand  horses  and  mules.  Before  the  arrival  of 
any  of  the  material,  however,  the  detachment  was  ordered  to  rejoin  the  Company. 

Surveys  had  been  made  for  rebuilding  the  line  from  Neufchateau  through 
Gondrecourt  to  Abainville.  This  line  had  been  originally  built  by  details  of 
Infantry  under  the  direction  of  a  Field  Signal  Battalion,  and  many  of  the  poles 
were  planted  to  an  insufficient  depth.  Moreover,  the  poles  were  placed  in 
many  cases  so  close  to  the  trees  that  there  was  no  room  for  crossarms.  It 
seemed  very  likely  that  there  would  be  need  for  additional  circuits  leading  in 


''WHERE    DO    WE    GO    FROM   HERE?"  151 

this  direction.  A  new  line  with  three  circuits  was  therefore  built,  using  the  old 
material.  This  work  was  handled  by  Company  "D"  with  Miller  in  charge 
of  the  platoon  working  south  from  Gondrecourt  and  Coates  and  Woodward 
working  north  from  Greux.  Miller's  section  continued  the  line  to  Abainville, 
where  a  large  railroad  center  was  nearing  completion.  When  the  circuits  were 
finished  and  material  was  about  to  be  ordered  for  the  distribution  system 
around  the  railroad  shops,  these  shops  were  ordered  abandoned  because  the 
French  feared  that  they  were  too  close  to  the  front.  After  the  work  had  been 
suspended  for  two  or  three  weeks  it  was  again  taken  up  and  the  shops  com- 
pleted. This  was  another  illustration  of  the  general  indecision  and  unsettle- 
ment  and  uncertainty  and  doubt  which  existed  in  the  Allied  forces  early  in 
June.  The  German  armies  were  preparing  for  their  last  terrific  drive  and 
no  one  could  foresee  even  from  one  day  to  the  next  what  might  happen. 

The  319th  and  322nd  Field  Signal  Battalions  had  arrived  in  the  area,  the 
319th  being  held  for  the  Army  and  the  322nd  assigned  to  the  First  Corps. 
Large  details  of  men  from  each  of  these  Battalions  were  loaned  to  Company 
"D"  to  provide  additional  labor  and  to  familiarize  them  with  the  nature  of 
the  work  being  done  for  the  Corps.  These  men  helped  tremendously  in  com- 
pleting the  various  jobs  in  the  early  part  of  June. 

There  was  a  large  Air  depot  at  Colombey  and  Collins  with  a  detachment 
equipped  it,  while  Coates  with  a  detail  installed  a  communication  system  for 
a  new  Air  field  just  east  of  that  town. 

Still  no  definite  orders  came.  While  the  Corps  continued  to  mark  time, 
surveys  were  made,  poles  delivered  and  Miller's  detachment  including  men 
from  the  322nd  Battalion  worked  out  of  Colombey  on  the  line  to  Toul.  At 
this  time  Lindley,  Pfefferle,  Curley,  Ross  and  Smith,  Company  "E"  teleg- 
raphers, were  sent  to  the  vicinity  of  Paris  to  operate  Signal  Corps  offices  and 
were  lost  to  the  Battalion  until  September. 

It  was  the  middle  of  June  before  the  suspense  was  relieved.  The  First 
Army  Corps  was  ordered  to  prepare  for  action.  Company  "E"  was  selected 
to  go  with  the  advance  party  and  "D"  was  ordered  to  take  over  all  of  the  work 
near  Neufchateau  and  close  out  the  affairs  of  the  Battalion.  All  arrangements 
were  made  with  the  greatest  secrecy.  While  few  knew  the  destination  of  the 
organization  many  suspected  that  it  would  be  in  the  vicinity  of  Chateau 
Thierry,  which  seemed  likely  to  become  the  center  of  the  next  German  drive. 
The  322nd  Battalion  was  also  to  accompany  the  Corps  and  all  of  its  men 
who  had  been  working  with  the  406th  returned  to  their  own  headquarters 
and  were  replaced  by  additional  details  from  the  319th. 

On  June  seventeenth  Company  "E"  left  Neufchateau.  A  feeling  of 
determination  and  satisfaction  such  as  they  had  not  heretofore  known  kept 
spirits  high.    One  thing  was  certain.    Waiting  was  over.    Action  was  near. 


Chapter  XVII 


On  the  Marne 


EARLY  on  the  morning  of  June  seventeenth  Lieutenant  Price  with  Inter- 
preter Thevelin  and  Sergeant  Gretzler  set  out.  They  started  in  ad- 
vance so  that  no  time  would  be  lost  in  surveys  and  other  preliminary 
work  at  the  new  headquarters  when  the  men  with  the  installation  material 
arrived.  Following  Lieutenant  Price  was  Captain  Wattles  with  Electrician 
Lowe,  Sergeants  Collins,  Mumford  and  Russell  and  a  fleet  of  the  fastest  trucks 
loaded  with  switchboards,  telephones,  telegraph  instrtunents,  a  supply  of  wire 
and  a  force  of  installers  and  operators.  Last  came  the  heavy  trucks  with  the 
remainder  of  the  Company  and  the  Headquarters  men  and  supplies. 

La  Ferte  sous  Jouarre,  a  town  on  the  Marne,  about  twenty  kilometers 
west  of  Chateau  Thierry  proved  to  be  the  destination.  When  the  Americans 
arrived  the  region  was  under  control  of  the  Third  French  Corps. 

The  advance  detail  completed  a  survey  of  the  most  pressing  work  by  the 
time  Captain  Wattles  and  his  "flying  squadron"  drove  into  the  town  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  eighteenth.  The  men  had  spent  two  days  on  the  road  but 
they  set  to  work  immediately,  and  before  letting  up  for  the  night  ten  thousand 
feet  of  wire  had  been  placed  and  two  switchboards  and  thirty  telephones  were 
working.  Sergeant  Mumford  with  Bailey  and  Gaghagen  handled  the  switch- 
board work  and  Sergeant  Russell  with  his  linemen  put  up  the  circuits.  The 
bridge  across  the  Marne  at  this  point  had  been  blown  up  by  the  British  in 

152 


ON    THE    MARNE 


153 


1 914  to  check  the  advance  of  the  on-coming  Boche  and  it  was  necessary  for 
Russell  and  his  men  to  borrow  boats  in  order  to  string  the  lines  across  the 
river. 

The  following  morning  Corps  officers  began  to  arrive.  Before  evening 
more  than  sixteen  miles  of  wire,  all  of  which  was  attached  to  fixtures  on  the 
tops  of  the  steep-roofed  houses,  had  been  strung  and  twenty  additional  tele- 
phones installed.  On  the  evening  of  the  nineteenth  the  remainder  of  Com- 
pany "E"  arrived  and  commenced  work  on  the  installation  of  a  large  switch- 


La  Ferte  sous  Jouarre 

board  and  an  electric  lighting  plant.  The  following  day  Sergeant  Adams 
strung  a  line  to  General  Liggett's  chateau.  Lynch  organized  the  switchboard 
operating  and  with  Cavanagh  and  MacRonald  listed  the  various  French 
circuit  routings.  Hannam  was  dispatched  meanwhile  with  a  few  men  from 
the  322nd  Battalion  to  operate  an  office  at  Meaux,  the  rear  echelon  of  the 
Second  Division. 

Most  of  the  billets  in  France  were  stables  or  muddy  fields.  But  here  was 
an  exception.  These  were  located  in  a  small  suburb  to  the  east,  La  Petite 
Ventuil,  consisting  mainly  of  summer  homes  of  Parisians.  Danley  describes 
them: 


154 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


y^ 


The  Billets  at  La  Ferte 

"These  were  the  finest  billets  that  we  had  in  France — practically 
new  houses,  with  only  seven  men  in  a  room,  hardwood  floors,  water 
inside,  and  a  kitchen  stove,  a  flower  garden  in  the  rear,  and  an  iron 
fence  around  the  place." 

Company  "D"  did  not  leave  Neuf chateau  until  a  week  after  Company 
"E."  The  time  was  spent  in  settling  bills  and  in  shipping  tools  and  supplies 
which  had  been  left  by  the  truck  trains.  With  the  help  of  Captain  Gauss 
who  had  remained  to  represent  the  Corps  Signal  Officer,  the  maintenance  and 
construction  activities  in  the  area  were  transferred  to  the  Fifth  Army  Corps. 
Captain  Griest  was  assisted  by  Lieutenant  Guy  who  at  this  time  was  at- 
tached to  Company  "D"  and  who  proved  a  most  capable  and  enthusiastic 
addition. 

Murdaugh  of  "D"  had  taken  over  the  light  railway  lines  at  Baccarat  from 
Lieutenant  Donaldson  before  Company  "E"  left  Neuf  chateau  and  he  re- 
mained there  to  finish  the  work.  "Dad's"  detail  was  made  up  largely  from  the 
319th  Field  Battalion  with  Jensen,  Donbaugh  and  Buehler  to  help  with  the 
supervision,  and  Althouse  and  Walkup  to  handle  the  motor  end.  This  de- 
tachment took  over  quarters  in  a  glass  factory  and  reveled  in  the  supply  of 


ON    THE    MARNE 


'55 


hot  water  from  the  single  furnace  left  unharmed  by  the  Boches  during  their 
brief  occupation  of  Baccarat  in  1914.  There  was  a  story  that  the  owner  of  the 
glass  works  had,  by  the  payment  of  a  sum  to  the  German  government,  secured 
the  promise  that  his  factory  would  not  be  molested.  But  on  one  of  their 
nightly  bombing  excursions  the  Boches  upset  the  story  by  dropping  a  bomb 
in  the  middle  of  the  factory.  It  also  upset  Murdaugh  and  his  two  "chronom- 
eters." Dad  always  wore  two  watches  while  in  France.  One  of  them  was  set 
for  Paris  time  and  the  other  for  "West  Chester."  When  he  had  a  task  to  per- 
form, Paris  time  was  used.  When  he  was  curious  as  to  what  "Joe-boy"  back 
home  might  be  doing,  the  West  Chester  timepiece  was  consulted.  Miller  with 
Haislop  and  Spangler  were  left  behind  to  finish  the  line  from  Colombey  to 
Toul,  Longo  remaining  with  them  to  obtain  the  rights  of  way.  The  rest  of 
Company  "D"  joined  "E"  at  La  Ferte. 

Pessimism  was  rampant  in  the  Allied  Armies.  The  German  Army,  al- 
though at  tremendous  sacrifices,  was  approaching  Paris;  every  one  seemed  to 
agree  that  if  he  was  willing  to  pay  the  price  the  Hun  could  make  a  further 
advance  and  that  if  he  reached  Meatix,  about  ten  kilometers  west  of  La  Ferte, 
he  might  from  this  point  destroy  the  French  capital  by  shell  fire.  At  French 
Headquarters  little  was  discussed  except  the  possibility  of  further  retirement. 


Baccarat 


156  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

In  the  rear,  French  soldiers  were  everywhere  engaged  in  digging  trenches  and 
constructing  entanglements  along  different  lines  of  resistance.  All  over  the 
city  of  La  Ferte  were  plastered  official  proclamations  warning  all  civilians  to 
leave  the  town.  Army  trucks  were  provided  to  carry  citizens  toward  the 
rear,  while  those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  own  carts  dragged  them  down 
the  road  with  motley  loads.  A  common  sight  was  an  old  man  leading  an 
ancient  horse  hitched  to  a  cart  heaped  high  with  clothing  and  furniture; 
perched  on  the  top  of  the  load  a  sad-faced  old  woman  and  bringing  up  the  rear, 
the  younger  members  of  the  family  leading  a  weary  cow. 

Men  from  the  Battalion  were  dispatched  hither  and  thither  on  motor- 
cycles to  survey  existing  telephone  lines.  Should  any  line  be  adopted  as  the 
main  axis  for  further  retreat,  telephone  facilities  would  be  needed  quickly:  On 
one  of  these  trips  Fest  and  Moss  had  an  experience  worth  repeating : 

"Moss  and  I  started  from  La  Ferte  and  worked  toward  Rebais. 
On  a  narrow  road  we  caught  up  to  a  big  touring  car  which  appeared, 
from  a  rear  view,  to  belong  to  a  General.  We  trailed  him  for  some 
time.  He  was  making  about  fifteen  miles  an  hour  and  we  were 
afraid  to  pass  him  and  hand  him  all  the  dust  for  he  had  a  better 
job  than  we.  So  we  followed  along  for  another  kilometer  and  finally 
decided  to  take  a  chance.  His  driver  turned  sharply  sending  us  into 
the  ditch,  our  machine  falling  on  its  side  with  the  side  car  straight 
up  and  Moss  tumbled  over  me  with  his  long  legs.  The  officer  in 
the  car,  a  Colonel,  immediately  jumped  out  and  asked  if  we  were 
hurt.  Seeing  that  we  were  both  all  right,  he  looked  over  our  machine. 
It  was  a  wreck.  At  this  very  turn  there  was  a  little  woods  which 
sheltered  an  army  repair  shop  and  the  Colonel  told  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  outfit  to  put  his  best  mechanics  on  the  job.  At  noon, 
after  a  very  good  dinner  at  the  camp,  we  were  on  our  way. 

"Getting  out  on  the  main  highway,  in  the  excitement  we  became 
confused  with  the  map.  The  first  thing  we  knew  we  heard  a  noise. 
Down  came  a  house.  A  few  seconds  later  another  shell  came  over 
and  got  the  bam,  so  we  thought  we  had  better  find  out  where  we 
were.  We  asked  an  M.  P.  who  told  us  we  were  three  and  a  half 
kilometers  from  Chateau  Thierry.  I  want  to  assure  you  that  we  did 
not  have  nor  want  any  more  business  in  that  neck  of  the  woods." 

Company  "E,"  assisted  by  a  few  operators  from  "D,"  continued  to  manage 
the  Headquarters  telephone  service  and  to  maintain  the  lines  leading  toward 
the  divisions.  These  lines  had  been  hastily  thrown  together  and  in  many 
cases  were  under  shell  fire.  There  was  consequently  an  enormous  amount 
of  trouble  to  be  cleared  and  rebuilding  to  be  done.  In  this  work,  Davis,  Bums 
and  Drew  had  many  twenty-four-hour  tricks  out  on  the  shell- torn  circuits. 

To  guard  against  interruptions  to  the  service  due  to  bombing,  all  circuits 
were  placed  underground  for  some  distance  from  the  switchboard.  Thus,  if  a 
shell  landed  in  the  exchange,  the  ends  of  the  buried  circuits  coiild  readily  be 


ON    THE   MARNE 


157 


i  /flef  I 


;,*•  ifv^'ii 


:'^^tPc- 


j^^'  -. 


connected  to  a  new  switchboard.  An  extra  line  was  built  to  carry  a  duplicate 
set  of  circuits  to  the  front.  Where  this  latter  line  crossed  the  Mame,  it  ran 
through  two  sets  of  submarine  cables  some  distance  apart.  Every  precaution 
was  taken  to  insure  continuous  communication. 

The  plant  grew  rapidly  and  before  long  there  was  an  equipment  of  a 
hundred  and  thirty  lines  terminating  on  the  La  Ferte  board  and  three  tele- 
graph instruments  were  working  constantly  to  Paris  and  to  the  adjoining 
French  and  American  Divisions.  Test  stations  were  placed  along  the  lines 
leading  to  the  3rd  and  26th  Divisions  so  that  the  sector  assigned  to  the  Bat- 
talion for  maintenance  might  be  kept  under  constant  supervision. 

To  "D"  Company  was  assigned  the  work  in  the  rear  areas  and  after  several 
days  of  surveying  to  determine  the  possibilities  of  existing  lines,^orders  were 
issued  for  wiring  the  new 
air  fields  at  Saints  and 
Ormeaux.  Cowan,  now 
a  Master  Signal  Electri- 
cian, supervised  the  job. 
The  Air  men  were  anxious 
to  have  a  direct  telephone 
wire  to  the  French  Air 
Headquarters  at  Paris 
but  the  Corps  Signal 
Officer  explained  to  the 
new  "subscribers"  that 
they  were  a  part  of  the 
First  Corps  and  any  busi- 
ness they  might  have  with  the  big  city  could  be  handled  through  the  switch- 
board at  Corps  Headquarters. 

About  the  time  this  job  was  finished.  Colonel  Mitchel  decided  that  it 
would  not  be  wise  for  the  aviators  to  live  near  the  field.  They  were  therefore 
moved  into  a  chateau  which  had  originally  been  selected  for  the  headquarters 
of  the  outfit.  Another  chateau  was  found  for  headquarters.  It  was  at  Haute 
Feuille,  some  five  kilometers  from  the  nearest  line,  and  this  too  was  connected. 

On  the  fourth  of  July  at  noon  in  the  Chateau  de  Lathny,  the  First  Corps 
of  the  American  Army  officially  took  over  from  our  Allies  the  command  of  the 
sector,  being  given  control  of  a  seven-kilometer  front  at  the  point  where  the 
enemy  had  thrust  nearest  to  Paris.  There  were  some  French  troops  in  the 
sector.  This  was  the  first  time  since  the  American  Revolution  that  American 
officers  commanded  foreign  troops.  The  First  Corps  in  turn  was  a  part  of 
General  Degoutte's  Vlth  French  Army. 

Things  were  getting  "warm"  and  every  one  worked  at  top  speed  fixing  up 


Co.  "D"  was  Billeted  Near  an  Inviting  Stream. 


158 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


General  Degoutte 


the  lines,  many  of  which  were  in  bad  shape  on 
account  of  the  necessarily  rapid  installation 
and  hasty  repair  work.  Now  that  the  Corps 
was  in  control  of  the  sector,  the  Battalion  took 
over  from  the  French  all  exchanges  in  the 
area.  In  many  cases  the  French  detail  de- 
parted immediately  upon  the  arrival  of  the 
Americans.  As  a  consequence  the  making 
of  office  records  was  a  long  and  tedious  task 
for  all  of  the  labels  and  tags  were  in  French 
as  were  the  circuit  maps  which  had  been  left 
behind. 

On  July  fifth  Sergeant  Dickson  with  Mohr, 
Bohn,  Callahan,  O.  H.  McKinney  and  Green 
of  "E"  Company  as  his  linemen,  and  Eicholtz 
and  other  "D"  Company  men  as  operators, 
advanced  to  Montreuil  Aux  Lions  and  prepared 
to  take  over  the  French  exchange  at  that  point.  The  central  office  had  been 
set  up  by  the  French  in  the  remains  of  the  postoffice.  Montreuil  was  imder 
fire  and  it  was  thought  best  to  set  up  an  exchange  in  the  cellar  of  a  house  near 
the  edge  of  the  town,  the  roof  being  reinforced  and  protected  by  logs,  stone  and 
sand.  Two  thirty-line  French  switchboards  were  installed  in  the  cellar  and 
to  the  surprise  of  the  French,  the  "cut"  from  the  old  switchboard  in  the  post- 
office  was  completed  without  a  hitch.  One  of  the  new  boards  upon  which 
terminated  most  of  the  French  circuits  was  operated  by  French  soldiers  and 
the  other  by  Dickson's  men.  Dickson's  knowledge  of  French  was  invaluable. 
On  July  fourteenth,  the  spasmodic  shelling  increased  to  such  intensity  that  the 
small  force  found  it  impossible  to  maintain  service  and  Sergeant  Russell's 
section  was  dispatched  from  La  Ferte  sous  Jouarre  to  assist.  There  was 
plenty  of  excitement.  At  night  German  planes  dropped  flares  in  their  efforts 
to  locate  American  batteries.  One  of  these  set  fire  to  a  pile  of  fagots.  Bombs 
were  dropping  everywhere.  Dickson's  gang  piled  out  and  extinguished  the 
blaze  which  was  making  their  home  entirely  too  conspicuous.  Just  then  the 
main  lines  going  down  over  the  hill  to  the  Second  Division  ceased  functioning. 
Callahan,  Green,  Jennings,  McKinney,  Beck  and  Mohr  rushed  down  the  hill 
through  mud  and  darkness.  Over  devasted  fields  and  roads  they  stumbled 
until  they  found  the  breaks  and  repaired  them. 

During  the  close  cooperation  between  the  men  of  the  two  nationalities, 
as  at  Montreuil,  the  Battalion  operators  managed  to  pick  up  considerable 
French,  a  valuable  asset  in  switchboard  operation.  Dickson  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  appreciate  the  life  of  a  French  "noncom": 


ON    THE    MARNE 


■59 


"While  at  Montreuil,  I  was  constantly  associated  with  French 
soldiers  and  had  ample  opportunity  to  compare  their  living  with  that 
of  our  men.  For  some  time  I  messed  with  the  French  noncommis- 
sioned officers  here.  The  mess  was  most  formal  even  when  shells 
were  going  over.  No  one  thought  of  sitting  down  at  the  table  until 
the  ranking  noncom,  the  adjutant  in  this  case,  had  seated  himself. 
Then  they  would  all  arrange  themselves  according  to  grade,  the 
adjutant  being  at  the  head  of  the  table,  the  ranking  sergeant  next 
and  so  on  down  to  the  end  of  the  table  where  sat  the  lowest  corporal. 
Privates  were  not  allowed  at  the  same  table.  The  meals  were 
exceptionally  good  and  were  always  served  in  courses.  First  would 
come  the  soup,  then  vegetables,  followed  by  meat,  then  the  inevitable 
salade  and  if  fortunate,  sometimes  cheese  and  nuts  before  the  black 
coffee.  With  all  this  of  course  was  a  liberal  supply  of  Pinard  of 
which  the  poilu  is  furnished  almost  one  quart  each  day  in  addition 
to  a  good  'shot'  of  cognac.  Each  meal  usually  consumed  the  better 
part  of  two  hours  and  was  considered  over  only  when  the  adjutant 
arose  after  he  had  finished  sipping  his  coffee. 

"Compare  this  with  the  fare  of  a  Yankee  noncom  who  lands  at 
the  kitchen  at  mess  time,  grabs  a  hunk  of  bread,  has  his  beans  tossed 
at  his  mess  kit  and  usually  dips  out  his  own  cup  of  coffee,  then  bolts 
it  all  as  quickly  as  possible,  sitting  under  a  tree  or  on  a  cobblestone. 
He  dips  his  mess  kit  in  a  bucket  of  soapy  water  and  calls  it  a  meal. 
Such  a  procedure  would  probably  take  all  the  glory  out  of  life  for 
a  French  noncom." 


The  headquarters  of  the  167th  French  Division  had  been  established  at 
Dhuisy  and  additional  circuits  were  required  to 
connect  this  office  with  the  American  Head- 
quarters, Dhuisy  already  being  connected  to  the 
Vlth  French  Army  at  Trilport.  The  406th  had 
all  the  work  it  could  handle,  so  the  Dhuisy 
circuits  were  built  by  details  from  the  322nd  but 
under  the  direction  of  Lutz  of  the  406th.  This 
was  a  light  line  carrying  one  eight-pin  crossarm 
and  in  the  woods  south  of  Dhuisy  it  dropped  to 
a  "rambas" — a  line  of  stout  stakes  about  waist 
high  carrying  circuits  of  insulated  wire  attached 
to  wooden  knobs. 

Sergeant  Danley  with  Grindel,  Gallo  and 
Richards  took  over  the  office  at  Champigny  at 
the  same  time  that  Dickson  went  to  Montreuil. 
Sergeant  Adams  at  this  time  went  to  Chelles  to 
construct  lines  for  the  Fifth  Marines.     Koser 

,   „,  .,,_.,.  .  Entrance  to  Dickson's "  Home " 

and  Shute  assisted  the  r  rench  m  operatmg  the  at  Montreuil. 


i6o  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

civil  board  at  Saacy  and  among  other  duties  were  charged  with  the  respon- 
sibility for  the  very  important  circuits  to  the  Engineers  who  were  detailed 
to  blow  up  the  Marne  bridges  in  case  of  a  further  advance  by  the  Germans. 

Lieutenants  Hasskarl  and  Foust  returned  from  their  courses  in  the  First 
Corps  school  early  in  July.  But  Lieutenant  Suddath  was  transferred  from 
the  school  to  a  Field  Battalion,  later  distinguishing  himself  with  the  78th 
Division.  The  returning  officers  brought  with  them  two  expert  telegraphers, 
Earlix  and  Davis.  There  was  no  need  for  additional  telegraphers  at  the 
moment.  Earlix  was  a  sergeant,  but  Davis  being  a  private  was  pounced 
upon  by  a  heartless  "Top"  and  given  an  opportunity  to  learn  the  meaning  of 
"K.  P." 

As  the  month  of  June  advanced,  movements  of  troops  and  equipment  past 
the  billets  near  La  Ferte  increased  steadily.  French  troops  were  moved 
constantly  in  both  directions  day  and  night.  When  the  movement  of  large 
numbers  of  American  troops  commenced,  the  trucks  of  the  406th  were  pressed 
into  service  and  many  of  the  Marines  of  the  Second  Division  were  transferred 
from  the  Belleau  Woods  region  to  the  vicinity  of  Soissons  by  the  Signal 
Corps.  By  this  time  the  Battalion  possessed  a  varied  assortment  of  trucks 
and  motorcycles  and  the  shop  forces  were  more  than  busy  keeping  them  on  the 
road.  To  add  to  the  difficulties,  the  mechanics  had  to  produce  results  with 
a  very  meagre  supply  of  spare  parts  and  their  ingenuity  was  remarkable.  The 
Battalion  was  fortunate  in  having  such  men  as  Urflfer,  McAnallen,  Engstrom, 
Gaus,  Grant  and  Sebring  to  handle  and  maintain  the  sixty  to  seventy  assorted 
vehicles  which  the  Supply  Officer  had  obtained.  To  add  to  the  variety  of 
equipment,  the  motor  squads  fell  heir  to  seven  three-ton  trucks  of  British 
manufacture.  These  veterans  had  already  given  to  the  British  forces  three 
years  of  hard  service.  And  the  following  months  proved  that  they  were  still 
able  with  a  little  coaxing  to  rattle  over  the  roads,  although  the  shop  crowds 
were  tempted  on  many  occasions  to  throw  up  their  hands  in  despair. 

The  Battalion  work  itself  kept  the  motor  details  busy  but  as  yet  the 
Corps  did  not  boast  a  Motor  Supply  train.  Troops  require  ammunition 
and  there  was  only  one  way  to  get  it  to  the  front.  Thus  the  406th  motor 
sections  were  assigned  another  task.  They  worked  with  the  Battalion  and 
repaired  trucks  by  day  and  hauled  for  the  Corps  by  night,  often  with  no  rest 
for  thirty  or  forty  hours  at  a  stretch.  Boche  planes  were  continually  on  the 
lookout  for  ammunition  trucks.  A  "pot  shot"  sometimes  resulted  in  a  series 
of  terrific  explosions  and  nothing  but  a  mass  of  wreckage  or  a  hole  in  the 
ground  would  be  left.  Perhaps  it  was  only  by  luck  that  the  Battalion  trucks 
did  not  share  in  any  of  these  experiences.  But  the  training  and  experience 
of  the  drivers  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  it. 

Airplane  activity  was  constantly  on  the  increase.     During  the  early  days 


ON    THE    MARNE 


i6i 


'  Nothing  But  a  Mass  of  Wreckage 


Would  be  Left.' 


at  La  Ferte  little  thought  was  given  to  the  hostile  craft  as  they  passed  over- 
head. But  one  night  a  well  directed  bomb  transformed  the  railway  station 
into  a  pile  of  junk  and  thereafter,  whenever  airplanes  were  heard  in  the 
vicinity  all  hands  were  ordered  into  the  cellars.  Night  after  night,  the  weary 
gangs  were  hauled  out  and  hurried  to  places  of  safety  while  the  "archies" 
sent  up  their  barrages  in  an  effort  to  force  the  enemy  back  to  his  own  lines. 

Captain  Gauss  although  attached  to  Corps  Headquarters,  preferred  to 
live  near  his  former  associates.  He  was  afflicted  with  a  stubborn  case  of  rheu- 
matism and  was  unable  to  walk.  One  evening  the  Boche  dropped  a  few 
bombs  nearby.  The  earth  shook. 

"Rheumatism  or  no  rheumatism,  I'm  going  to  get  out  of  this  place!" 
thought  the  Captain..  He  leaped  from  his  bed  and  fled  for  a  cave.  The 
rheumatism  was  entirely  cured! 

Lieutenant  Foust  took  charge  of  Company  "E,"  Captain  Wattles  being 
detached  and  given  command  of  the  52nd  Telegraph  Battalion,  a  Regular 
Army  outfit.  A  farewell  party  was  held  and  Lieutenant  Donaldson  who  had 
the  least  confining  duties  was  made  chief  provisioner.  Captain  "Bill" 
realized  before  the  dinner  broke  up  that  his  old  friends  were  going  to  miss 
him.     Shortly  after  he  joined  his  new  organization  he  was  made  a  Major 


l62 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


and  his  Battalion  was  assigned  to  the  Third  Army  Corps,  participating  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  advance  to  the  Vesle  and  in  the  Meuse-Argonne  ofifen- 
sive.  After  the  Armistice,  the  Third  Corps  was  made  a  part  of  the  Army  of 
Occupation  and  with  his  Battalion,  he  shared  in  the  occupation  of  the  Rhine 
Valley. 

Soon  after  the  Air  fields  at  Saints  and  Ormeaux  were  equipped,  the  French 
took  them  over  and  the  Americans  were  moved  to  Francheville  where  a  new 
telephone  layout  was  required.  However,  the  Air  fields  were  back  in  the 
territory  operated  by  Army  troops  and  the  Corps  was  required  only  to  con- 
nect Francheville  to  the  switchboard  recently  installed  in  the  post  office  at 
Coulommiers.  The  demands  for  service  for  American  units  had  grown  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  French  insisted  that  an  American  board  be  placed 
in  this  office.  Stevens  was  dispatched  to  Coulommiers  to  set  up  the  switch- 
board and  start  Davis  and  Reynolds  in  its  operation.  This  little  switchboard 
soon  began  to  handle  a  considerable  amount  of  business,  caring  for  two  large 
hospitals  which  had  been  temporarily  located  in  the  Foret  de  Crecy,  and  a 
Signal  dump  which  Lieutenant  Meigs  had  established  in  the  town.  The  latter 
was  supplied  by  train  loads  of  material  conducted  by  Lieutenant  Guy  from  a 
new  base  at  Lieusant. 

One  more  hospital  remained  to  be  connected  before  all  was  in  readiness 
for  action.  This  one  was  at  Jouilly,  far  from  Corps  Headquarters.  The 
French  were  to  furnish  a  circuit  from  Paris  to  Dammartin  and  Company 
"D"  was  ordered  to  build  from  Dammartin  to  the  hospital.  Miller's  section 
was  sent  to  build  the  connecting  line  while  a  hunt  was  made  for  the  bureau 


r.. 

■ 

M 

^^^ 

Hr^ 

[    TABAC     ^^^^1 

1 

1 

^9 

H^mJ^K— ^.  ^^S5J1  'Tl'^'^'^V^  ^H^H 

H 

BB 

HHHI^^^B 

^^■^^^^H^^^^^^^HVHhT  1 K^-     '  -L^^  ^^^^^^^1 

^ps 

pn^^^^^gjg^^^B 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^H^I^HhIH^^^^^h^?^ 

•^"^ 

mm 

ib^HB^^I 

^^^M 

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Bridge  over  the  Marne  at  La  Ferte 


ON    THE    MARNE  163 

or  person  who  could  decide  what  circuit,  was  to  be  used  at  Dammartin  to 
connect  Paris.  While  others  were  searching,  Miller  with  the  aid  of  Longo's 
French  buttonholed  a  Sunday  afternoon  stroller  who  had  a  telegraph  sign 
on  his  cap.  As  luck  would  have  it,  this  was  the  very  lineman  who  carried 
the  diagrams  for  that  section  and  who  also  had  the  instructions  for  the  leased 
circuit. 

On  this  little  job  many  new  climbers  were  developed  in  Miller's  section. 
Paris  has  an  alluring  sound  and  not  every  one  could  get  to  the  metropolis. 
But  from  the  top  of  a  pole  between  Dammartin  and  Jouilly,  the  Eiffel  Tower 
and  many  other  prominent  structures  in  the  great  city  could  be  seen.  Each 
man  on  the  job,  whether  he  had  ever  climbed  a  pole  before  or  not,  managed 
to  reach  the  top  of  that  one. 

The  days  of  preparation  and  organization  were  nearing  a  close.  Troops 
and  yet  more  troops  were  rushing  along  the  crowded  highways  toward  the 
front.  The  streams  of  ambulances  carrying  wounded  back  toward  the  hos- 
pitals gave  warning  that  big  things  were  happening. 


ll>WiPit|l»»aLWi!IUWt«J''.^i 


Chapter  XVIII 
The  First  American  Offensive 

^T  MONTREUIL  Dickson  had  a  liberal  supply  of  axes  and  gasoline.  He 
was  too  near  the  German  lines  to  attempt  any  salvage,  and  his  orders 
were,  in  case  of  retreat,  to  bum  everything  combustible  and  to  de- 
stroy all  else  with  axes.  Similar  instructions  were  given  to  the  men  at  Cham- 
pigny  and  the  other  exchanges. 

They  were  dark  days,  those  days  in  mid- July.  With  every  plan  made  for 
retreat  every  one  waited,  and  hoped,  and  longed  for  orders  for  an  attack.  The 
Germans  hammered  away  at  La  Ferte  and  were  answered  by  the  long  range 
naval  guns. 

As  the  hours  passed,  spirits  rose.  The  American  and  French  troops  were 
holding  the  enemy!  The  streets  were  jammed  with  more  and  still  more 
troops  being  rushed  to  the  front.  The  Battalion  trucks  were  pressed  into 
service. 

On  the  morning  of  the  seventeenth  long  streams  of  German  prisoners, 
weary  and  dusty  came  down  the  road.  A  little  later  came  a  joyful  shout, 
"There  go  the  pontoons."  The  Mame  was  to  be  crossed!  It  was  to  be  an 
advance !  The  procession  of  boat  laden  trucks  on  their  way  toward  Chateau 
Thierry  put  to  an  end  all  thought  of  retreat. 

That  afternoon  Major  Hubbell  received  word  that  the  Corps  would  attack 

164 


THE   FIRST   AMERICAN   OFFENSIVE 


i6< 


on  the  following  morning.  But  he  knew  that  his  organization  was  in  shape  to 
shoulder  its  responsibilities  and  he  kept  the  information  to  himself.  During 
the  evening  the  Major  stuck  to  Corps  Headquarters  to  be  in  close  touch  with 
the  situation.  All  hands  in  the  Battalion  retired  early.  Only  one  thing  was 
certain.     There  would  be  no  air  raids  that  night.     The  rain  was  pouring  down 


From  the  Marne  to  the  Vesle 


in  torrents  and  it  was  dark  as  pitch.  But  at  ten  o'clock  word  was  received  of 
the  exact  time  of  the  attack.  It  was  passed  to  the  men.  The  morrow  was 
to  be  the  day  of  days.     Sleep  was  out  of  the  question. 

At  once,  Lieutenant  Price  with  Magill,  Giles  and  Hallgren  set  out  through 
the  blinding  rain  on  motorcycles,  with  instructions  to  locate  and  keep  in  touch 
with  Major  Alfonte,  the  Signal  Officer  of  the  26th  Division.     The  Major  was 


i66  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

reported  to  be  either  in  the  small  town  of  Mery  or  at  Genevrois  Farm.  But 
shell  fire  had  wiped  both  of  these  places  off  the  map,  and  the  party  set  out  along 
a  road  jammed  with  artillery  and  infantry  units  to  find  the  Major.  A  couple 
of  hours  later  they  located  him  in  an  old  building  back  of  Lucy.  The  Lieuten- 
ant was  ordered  ahead  into  Lucy  to  find  some  place  which  seemed  sufficiently 
protected  to  warrant  the  installation  of  a  switchboard.  It  was  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning  when  the  party  arrived  in  the  town.  The  Ambulance  Corps 
was  collecting  wounded  Americans.  The  dead  of  both  armies  were  lying  every- 
where. A  location  was  found  for  an  exchange.  Before  day  dawned  a  switch- 
board was  installed.  The  26th  Division  Headquarters  remained  at  Lucy 
throughout  the  eighteenth,  but  on  the  nineteenth,  due  to  the  success  of  the 
attack,  it  was  moved  ahead  to  Picardie  Farm  where  a  new  "P.  C."  (Post  of 
Command)  was  established. 

As  soon  as  Lieutenant  Price  had  been  dispatched  to  maintain  liaison  with 
the  26th  Division,  Company  '  D"  was  ordered  to  prepare  for  an  early  start  on 
any  new  construction  which  might  be  required.  "E"  Company  was  divided, 
part  under  Lieutenant  Hasskarl  to  handle  the  operating  and  maintenance  of 
the  exchanges  at  Corps  Headquarters  and  the  remainder  under  Lieutenant 
Foust  to  proceed  to  Montreuil,  there  to  pick  up  materials  and  additional  men 
to  build  lines  for  the  Corps  "P.  C."  wherever  it  might  locate. 

Company  "D"  was  assembled  at  four  in  the  morning,  the  trucks  loaded  with 
wire  so  arranged  that  it  could  be  run  off  from  the  reels  as  the  trucks  advanced 
along  the  road.  All  was  ready  for  action  on  a  moment's  notice.  But  orders 
were  slow  in  coming.  During  the  morning,  Coates  ran  a  line  from  the  main 
road  toward  an  Engineer's  dump  at  Saacy.  At  noon  the  Company  was  ordered 
to  Montreuil  to  await  further  instructions.  Dickson  with  his  detachment, 
was  still  in  the  dugout,  not  knowing  whether  the  exchange  was  to  be  destroyed 
to  prevent  capture  by  the  Germans  or  whether  it  was  to  become  even  more 
active  as  the  result  of  American  successes  and  advances. 

Very  early  that  morning.  Lieutenant  Foust  with  two  sections  under  Ser- 
geants Adams  and  Gretzler  had  proceeded  to  Montreuil.  Adams  strung  the 
lines  necessary  to  connect  the  exchanges  of  the  26th  Division  in  this  locality 
to  Dickson's  exchange.  The  town  was  under  fire.  The  exploding  shells 
especially  in  the  central  part  and  along  the  main  road  into  the  town,  gave 
Adams  and  his  detail  plenty  to  think  about.  During  this  time  Sergeant  Danley 
at  Champigny  with  his  small  detachment  was  having  his  hands  more  than  full 
trying  to  maintain  service  over  aerial  lines  that  were  continually  being  shelled. 
It  was  necessary  for  him  to  reconstruct  lines  through  a  bridgehead  at  Saacy  while 
the  Germans  were  sending  over  tons  of  shells  in  an  attempt  to  destroy  the  bridge. 

Company  "D"  continued  to  Montreuil.  News  of  the  progress  being  made 
by  the  first  American   offensive   was  most   encouraging.     Anticipating  an 


THE    FIRST   AMERICAN   OFFENSIVE  167 


Ruins  of  Lucy 


advance  of  the  Corps,  two  additional  circuits  were  run  to  Lucy.  Since  the 
roads  leading  into  this  town  were  under  observation  and  shell  fire,  Miller  and 
Jensen  took  their  sections  out  about  sundown  and  by  nine  o'clock  finished  the 
job.  They  terminated  the  lines  in  an  orchard  at  the  edge  of  the  town  for  use 
should  the  old  circuit  fail.  The  old  line  had  been  run  on  the  ground.  When 
wagon  trains  began  to  park  in  the  woods  near  the  road,  grinding  the  wire  into 
the  mud,  the  new  circuits  which  had  been  tied  to  trees  were  put  into  service. 

The  shelling  continued  on  the  nineteenth.  Little  rest  was  secured  that 
night  for  there  was  a  continual  parade  back  and  forth  to  the  shelter  caves. 
A  bomb  which  landed  in  a  field  adjoining  the  camp  set  fire  to  a  haystack.  The 
blaze  illuminated  the  region  so  brightly  that  Buehler  organized  a  bucket  bri- 
gade to  eliminate  the  target  for  Boche  shells. 

Speaking  of  that  unpleasant  night  at  Montreuil,  McFarland — "Little 
Mac" — admits  that  he  developed  a  powerful  lot  of  respect  for  enemy  airplanes: 

"I  was  sleeping  in  a  little  room  in  the  second  story  of  a  house 
when  my  bunkie  called,  'What's  that  zit-zut-zit-zut?'  The  noise 
seemed  to  stop  but  we  didn't  wait  for  any  more  and  started  right 
down  into  the  cable  bury  back  of  the  house.  Boom!  and  a  flare  ht 
up  the  quadrangle!  Boom!  another  one!  Down  went  my  head  in 
the  mud.     Oh,  what  a  night!" 


i68  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

Throughout  that  night,  Dickson  with  his  gang  worked  frantically  to  keep  up 
service  over  the  much  repaired  lines.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  twentieth, 
Lieutenant  Price  went  to  Picardie  Farm  to  keep  in  close  touch  with  the  ad- 
vancing 26th.  The  Division  had  strung  a  single  wire  from  Lucy  to  Picardie 
for  use  with  a  buzzer.  To  make  a  talking  circuit,  an  additional  wire  was  run 
by  Miller's  and  Jensen's  sections  who  had  been  sent  forward  to  work  under 
Major  Alfonte. 

Stevens  back  at  La  Ferte  had  been  detailed  to  K.  P.  duty.  It  pleased  him 
not  a  bit.  He  took  occasion  to  say  so,  and  Griest  relieved  him  and  sent  him 
up  to  Price  at  Montreuil.  It  was  a  jump  from  the  frying  pan  into  the  fire — 
but  let  Stevens  tell  it : 

"I  arrived  at  Montreuil  at  2  P.  M.  and  at  6  o'clock  was  sent  to 
the  Front.  In  La  Ferte  it  was  quiet,  but  at  Montreuil  the  big  ones 
were  coming  over  quite  regularly.  My  orders  were  to  go  to  Trugny. 
"Red"  Smith  was  driving  the  old  Ford,  and  I  was  in  command  of 
the  detail.  We  got  up  as  far  as  Chateau  Thierry  at  the  forks  of  the 
Soissons  Road.    I  did  not  know  which  way  to  go. 

"I  saw  Major  Hubbell  there  and  asked  him  the  way  to  Trugny. 
He  told  me  to  keep  on  the  Soissons  Road  until  I  passed  the  "heavies" 
and  then  turn  to  the  right,  follow  that  road  down  and  take  the  next 
road  to  the  left.  Down  in  the  valley  Heinie  upset  an  ambulance 
and  that  held  us  up  for  an  hour.  For  the  next  couple  of  hours  we 
were  lost  but  eventually  came  out  on  the  right  road.  Every  minute 
it  became  warmer.  Shells  were  coming  thick  and  fast.  At  a  chateau 
gate  I  saw  a  man  and  asked  him  how  much  further  it  was  to  Trugny. 
He  said  it  was  not  far  but  that  Fritz  was  still  pretty  close  to  it.  I 
bummed  him  for  a  cigarette  and  when  he  turned  back  his  coat  I 
discovered  that  he  was  a  colonel!     I  moved  and  kept  on  moving. 

"Shells  were  dropping  so  fast  that  after  another  hundred  yards 
we  were  tempted  to  swing  the  bus  around  and  go  home.  But  we  kept 
on  and  reached  our  destination.  We  were  told  we  would  not  be 
needed  for  an  hour  or  two,  so  we  planned  on  taking  a  nap.  When 
we  returned  to  our  luggage,  we  found  the  old  Boy  himself — the  Major- 
General — planted  there.     So  we  did  not  sleep. 

"The  next  morning  we  pitched  our  pup  tents.  We  were  called 
away  on  a  case  of  trouble.  When  we  returned,  pup  tents  and  all 
our  luggage  were  gone. 

"Next  time,  I  think  I'd  prefer  K.  P.!" 

On  account  of  the  uncertainty  of  the  direction  which  the  next  phase  of  the 
attack  might  take,  two  axes  of  communication  were  carried  forward,  one  fol- 
lowing the  advance  of  the  Sixth  French  Division  (being  run  by  the  322nd  Bat- 
talion) and  the  other  following  the  advance  of  the  26th  American  Division,  by 
the  406th.  To  connect  these  axes,  a  line  was  run  from  Lucy  to  Belleau  and 
a  test  station  estabUshed  at  Lucy  in  charge  of  Favinger  and  Yeckel.  In  a 
little  house  which  had  escaped  the  general  bombardment  of  the  town,  these 


■ftiWp  ■ 


THE   FIRST   AMERICAN   OFFENSIVE 


169 


men  with  Daniels  and  Hale  established  themselves  and  spent  their  time  patch- 
ing lines  which  were  frequently  broken  down  by  artillery  action. 

These  were  days  of  early  rising  and  late  retiring.  Morning  mess  was 
generally  called  between  three-thirty  and  four  o'clock,  and  before  five  o'clock, 
sections  were  out  on  the  road  weaving  their  way  through  the  trains  of  supplies 
and  artiller3^  But  no  one  complained  of  long  hours  or  scant  rations,  for  the 
push  was  now  headed  in  the  right  direction.     And  whenever  there  was  a 


Chateau  Thierry — Just  After  the  Germans  Retreated 

chance  for  amusement,  despite  shells  and  gas,  no  urging  was  needed.  The 
construction  sections  were  divided  into  two  groups,  one  being  allowed  to  rest 
while  the  other  group  continued  the  advance.  One  evening  at  Montreuil  the 
"off  duty"  group  had  a  masquerade  with  "Jeff"  Adams  as  master  of  cere- 
monies. Assorted  costumes  were  collected  from  the  piles  of  clothing  scattered 
through  the  buildings  and  courtyard,  and  "Red"  Sebring  in  his  top  hat  and 
swallow-tail  coat  took  the  prize.  Fest  discovered  a  brass  horn  and  Hutchison 
found  a  flute,  and  the  party  had  plenty  of  so-called  music. 

One  night  some  of  the  officers  were  sitting  on  the  parapet  of  a  trench 
watching  the  German  shells  bursting  just  a  short  distance  away.  As  might 
be  expected  thoughts  were  of  home.     One  of  them  made  the  casual  remark: 

"Don't  you  wonder  where  your  folks  are  tonight?" 

Just  then  a  big  one  burst  nearby  and  Shirley  Price  rolled  off  the  parapet 
into  the  trench. 

"I  don't  know  where  the  folks  are  tonight,  but  Shirley  is  right  down  here 
in  the  mud!"  was  Price's  answer. 


lyo  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

On  the  morning  of  the  twentieth,  Sergeants  Gretzler  and  Adams  with  their 
sections  started  with  the  trucks  to  locate  the  Advance  P.  C.  and  estabHsh  con- 
nection to  the  rear  echelon  at  La  Ferte  by  way  of  Montreuil.  Proceeding 
along  the  La  Ferte-Chateau  Thierry  road  they  strung  four  circuits  through 
Lucy  and  Bouresches  to  Picardie  Farm,  and  terminated  two  of  them  on  the 
26th  Division  switchboard  at  that  point.  They  were  then  ordered  to  carry 
the  other  two  circuits  to  Epaux-Bezu  and  remain  there  awaiting  further 
instructions. 

Sergeant  Gretzler  proceeded  with  the  central  office  equipment,  while  Ser- 
geant Adams  started  to  string  the  circuits.  It  was  found  that  the  shortest 
route  was  via  Etrepilly,  although  this  road  was  almost  impassable,  due  to  its 
shell-torn  condition.  In  the  town  the  road  was  blocked  by  motor  vehicles 
which  were  piled  up  as  high  as  the  houses  on  the  narrow,  sharply  ascending 
street,  and  a  detour  was  necessary.  This  detour  wound  around  the  edge  of  a 
little  ravine,  the  bottom  of  which  was  covered  with  dead  of  the  German  and 
French  Armies.  The  road  climbed  sharply  over  a  hill  which  was  under  terrific 
fire.  Adams  chased  down  the  far  side  stringing  his  two  circuits  from  the  back 
of  the  truck.  Near  the  entrance  to  the  chateau  at  Epaux-Bezu,  there  were 
stationed  several  batteries  of  French  75 's  which  were  shelling  the  retreating 
enemy  as  fast  as  the  guns  could  be  worked.  This  activity  drew  shells  from 
the  enemy,  and  the  vicinity  of  the  chateau  was  a  most  iinhealthful  place.  If 
the  good  die  young,  the  men  of  the  406th  must  have  been  a  tough  gang.  A 
shell  landed  close  to  "Dad"  McCann's  truck,  killing  a  number  of  Frenchmen 
and  horses,  and  wounding  two  Americans  from  the  322nd  Field  Signal  Bat- 
talion. But  not  a  scratch  to  the  406th,  except  some  perforations  in  the 
gasoline  tank  of  McCann's  truck. 

The  chateau  selected  for  Headquarters  at  Epaux  was  not  more  than  a  mile 
from  the  German  artillery.  It  was  the  custom  of  General  Liggett  and  his 
Chief  of  Staff,  General  Craig,  to  keep  Corps  Headquarters  close  to  the  front 
so  that  movements  of  divisions  could  be  readily  directed.  As  the  progress  of 
the  war  developed,  however,  this  practice  was  not  always  followed  and  the 
Chief  of  Staff  grew  more  and  more  to  depend  upon  telephone  service  to  the 
divisions. 

The  switchboard  had  been  installed  in  the  chateau  basement  and  just  as 
the  circuits  leading  from  the  rear  were  completed,  a  little  before  noon,  an  order 
came  that  Corps  Headquarters  would  be  moved  to  Buire,  about  two  kilometers 
to  the  west  and  sheltered  from  the  German  positions  by  a  high  hill.  There 
was  little  time  to  discuss  the  army  and  its  quick  changes  of  plans.  Under 
Jeff  Adams,  the  sections  dashed  along  the  crowded  road,  feeding  twist  from  the 
back  of  the  truck.  Sergeant  Gretzler  installed  the  switchboard,  and  service 
was  ready  at  Buire  half  an  hour  after  the  Chief  of  Staff  arrived. 


THE   FIRST   AMERICAN   OFFENSIVE  171 

Gruninger  had  an  exciting  time  reaching  Buire.  He  had  set  out  with  only 
a  rough  diagram  of  the  roads: 

"The  only  guides  along  the  way  were  occasional  burial  parties. 
I  was  completely  lost,  and  finally  got  my  bearings  just  outside 
Belleau  Woods.  I  came  across  a  dugout  which  the  Boches  had  just 
left.  A  kettle  of  thin  soup  was  still  warm  on  the  fire  where  they  left 
it.  I  pulled  up  under  a  tree  and  tried  to  'grab  off'  an  hour  of  sleep. 
Nothing  doing.  Fifty  yards  away  a  concealed  12-inch  gun  was 
popping  every  twenty  minutes.  I  had  driven  in  between  pops.  At 
the  first  fire  I  thought  the  earth  had  dropped  from  imder  me.  No 
chance  for  sleep.  At  daybreak  I  arrived  at  my  destination  and 
started  to  set  up  field  boards  and  lines  to  the  different  outposts." 

These  were  strenuous  days  for  the  construction  men.  But  they  had  the 
advantage  of  being  out  in  the  open  where  they  could  see  what  was  going  on. 
The  men  running  the  switchboards  in  the  dugouts  worked  under  a  severe 
strain,  always  at  top  speed,  trying  to  build  up  connections  over  circuits  con- 
stantly in  trouble.     Hannam  describes  the  operating  situation: 

"These  were  awful  days,  for  the  American  Army  hadn't  exactly 
acquired  confidence  and  every  one  was  afraid  to  move  before  con- 
sulting some  one  else  by  telephone.  There  was  a  perpetual  stream 
of  business  day  and  night  and  oh,  those  trunk  lines  of  twisted  pair 
lying  all  over  the  roads  with  trucks  running  over  them!  Believe  me, 
they  were  certainly  musical.  At  Buire,  after  carrying  out  buckets  of 
bullets,  helmets,  parts  of  machine  gvms,  etc.,  we  slept  right  along- 
side the  boards  on  a  couple  of  feather  mattresses  left  there  by  the 
Germans.  At  this  place  the  Germans  made  quite  a  stand.  So  we 
stayed  there  almost  a  week  during  which  time  our  troops  moved 
up  the  six-  and  then  the  nine-inch  guns  into  our  back  yard.  These 
would  have  shaken  us  out  of  bed  if  there  was  any  place  to  be  shaken  to." 

Several  new  telegraph  operators  joined  the  Battalion  during  the  spring  to 
make  up  for  those  who  had  been  transferred  to  other  posts.  Huckleberry, 
Davis  and  Kelly  were  all  Regular  Army  men  with  years  of  experience.  Swear- 
ingen  and  Putnam  were  also  new  comers  who  shouldered  their  share  of  the 
responsibility.  These  men  with  the  original  telegraphers  headed  by  Ban- 
holzer  sent  and  received  messages  so  efficiently  that  longing  eyes  were  cast 
on  them  by  officers  of  other  organizations. 

The  circuits  leading  north  from  Lucy  became  so  extremely  unsatisfactory 
due  to  wear  and  tear  that  on  the  twenty-fourth  a  new  line  was  run  to  Picardie 
Farm,  this  time  supporting  the  wires  on  a  homemade  lance  line  across  the 
fields  which  were  still  strewn  with  both  allied  and  enemy  dead.  The  territory 
between  Lucy  and  Bouresches  and  the  railroad  embankment  to  the  north- 
east had  been  the  scene  of  terrific  fighting  when  the  Marines  began  their 
advance.     Most  of  the  American  soldiers  had  been  buried  and  each  of  the 


172 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


graves  marked  by  a  rifle,  with  the  muzzle  stuck  in  the  ground.  The  man's 
identification  tag  was  attached  to  the  stock  and  the  bayonet  was  fastened  near 
the  trigger  by  the  cartridge  belt,  making  a  cross.  The  weather  was  extremely 
hot  and  the  unburied  Boches  and  animals  were  not  pleasant  company. 

Where  the  line  ran  through  the  woods  there  still  remained  many  of  the 
poles  of  an  old  French  civil  line  which  formed  good  supports  for  the  new  wires. 
Soon  after  this  circuit  was  completed,  the  old  line  across  the  fields  was  abandoned. 

During  these  strenuous  days  there  was  another  call  to  name  men  for  the 
Candidates  School.  This  time  Lowe  and  Bruder  were  sent  away.  Both  of 
these  men  gave  a  good  account  of  themselves.  Lowe  returned  to  the  States 
with  a  field  Battalion  and  remained  in  the  Regular  Army.     Bruder  joined  the 


At  Buire 


52nd  Telegraph  Battalion,  in  which  Captain  Wattles  had  been  made  a  Major, 
and  with  this  Battalion  went  through  the  various  campaigns  of  the  Third  Corps. 

There  was  another  brief  respite  and  Lieutenant  Price  remained  near  Picar- 
die  Farm  waiting  for  the  next  jump.  Lieutenant  Foust  keeping  his  finger  on  the 
Corps'  pulse  at  Buire.  Each  morning  the  sections  made  an  early  start  from 
Montreuil  and  spent  the  day  waiting  for  a  chance  to  jump  ahead  from  Picardie. 
In  the  meantime  two  new  lieutenants,  Pearson  and  Woodward,  joined  the 
organization.  These  men  were  sent  to  Lieutenant  Price  to  obtain  experience 
in  forward  work. 

The  26th  was  now  advancing  toward  Epieds  and  the  42nd  was  ordered 
to  relieve  the  "Yankees"  who  had  been  carrying  on  a  strenuous  and  successful 
offensive  for  nearly  ten  days.  Trugny  was  selected  as  the  Headquarters  of 
the  42nd  and  about  five  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  twenty -fifth  Lieutenant 
Price  set  out  with  his  sections  to  run  a  circuit  to  Epieds.  Lieutenant  Foust 
continued  the  circuit  from  Epieds  to  Trugny. 

At  Trugny  the  detachment  installed  a  switchboard,  and  Roach  and  Gallo 
stayed  by  the  board  while  the  chateau  and  surrounding  grounds  were  pounded 


THE   FIRST   AMERICAN   OFFENSIVE  173 

with  shells  and  bombs.  After  the  heavy  firing,  it  was  learned  that  the  42nd 
Division  Headquarters  would  not  move  into  that  town,  but  there  was  nothing 
to  do  but  remain  until  morning,  when  the  station  was  left  in  charge  of  a 
Signal  Detachment  of  the  42nd  Division,  and  the  "E"  Company  Detachment 
returned  to  Buire. 

The  same  night,  Urffer,  with  a  truck  which  had  been  loaned  to  the  322nd 
Battalion,  ran  into  another  air  bombardment,  and  from  his  own  account, 
quickly  forgot  the  disgust  which  he  had  expressed  for  air  warnings  back  at 
La  Ferte.     As  he  says: 

"My  truck  was  jammed  up  on  a  congested  road  with  a  broken 
steering  arm.  While  I  was  trying  to  make  repairs  of  some  sort,  Fritz 
polluted  the  air  again,  and  as  my  location  was  plainly  marked  by  a 
gang  of  French  artillery  men  smoking  cigarettes,  the  Hun  did  not 
lose  much  time  starting  the  racket.  Naturally,  while  the  Boche 
was  lambasting  the  pike,  I  was  peacefully  dying  of  fright  about  a 
hundred  yards  off  the  road  where  some  one  had  thoughtfully  dug  a 
shell  hole  for  me." 

Shortly  after  Corps  Headquarters  was  established  at  Buire,  Captain  Griest 
was  ordered  to  that  town  to  take  over  the  office  and  to  keep  in  close  touch 
with  the  Corps  officers.  The  circuits  by  this  time  had  been  placed  in  fair 
shape. 

The  entire  Battalion  gathered  at  Buire.  Each  day  the  sections  were  ready 
to  be  off  by  four-thirty  in  the  morning  and  usually  returned  for  mess  between 
eight  and  nine  in  the  evening.  Still  there  was  no  further  advance  and  the 
days  were  spent  in  going  over  the  lines. 

On  the  twenty-eighth,  it  was  decided  to  move  Corps  Headquarters  to 
Epieds.  New  circuits  were  run  from  Buire,  but  over  the  crowded  roads  pro- 
gress was  slow.  When  the  circuits  had  reached  Epieds,  Colonel  Voris  an- 
nounced that  as  the  advance  was  continuing  the  Corps  would  move  on  to 
Chateau  Moucheton.  Orders  were  left  at  Epieds  that  when  Coates  arrived 
with  advance  switchboard  material,  he  should  be  sent  on  to  Moucheton. 
Captain  Griest  reached  the  Chateau  before  the  regimental  signal  detail  had 
dismantled  their  exchange  in  the  basement  and  was  able  to  take  over  the  vari- 
ous circuits  which  the  infantry  men  just  previously  had  taken  from  the  Ger- 
mans. When  the  switchboard  arrived.  Miller  and  Hannam  had  sufficient 
trunks  ready  to  give  service  both  to  divisions  and  to  the  rear  echelon  at  Buire. 
Circuits  for  local  stations  running  up  through  the  Chateau  were  all  in  place, 
these  having  been  left  in  good  shape  by  the  Germans  in  their  hurried  retreat. 
Shortly  after  noon  the  telephone  and  telegraph  offices  were  working  normally 
and  Colonel  Voris  had  established  his  desk  in  the  cellar  hallway  between  them. 

"Little  Mac"  went  to  Buire  to  bring  up  Noone  and  Temeson  and  various 


174  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

supplies  for  the  office  at  Epieds,  which  Captain  Griest  took  over  at  this  time. 
He  had  an  exciting  time : 

"By  the  time  I  had  reached  Buire,  eaten  supper,  and  gotten  some 
rations  for  the  men  at  the  exchange,  it  had  become  intensely  dark. 
As  we  started  for  Epieds,  John  was  standing  on  the  side  of  the  car. 
Bill  was  on  the  bed  rolls  on  the  back.  The  road  was  dark  and  rough. 
Suddenly  I  noticed  a  car  coming  down  the  hill  toward  us  on  the  wrong 
side  of  the  road.  I  shot  over  to  my  left.  B-r-r-r  it  shot  by.  As 
soon  as  he  had  passed  he  came  to  life  to  find  that  some  one  else  was  on 
the  road  beside  himself.  He  shot  on  his  light  but  kept  on  going 
faster  than  ever.  We  didn't  stop  even  to  cuss  and  at  length  we 
came  to  the  top  of  the  hil]  where  an  M.  P.  came  up  to  us  with  a  gas 
mask  on.  'Where  are  your  gas  masks?  Put  'em  on,'  he  mumbled 
under  his  mask.  All  the  horns  were  honking  now.  We  had  not 
heard  one  before.  I  know  I  would  never  have  reached  Epieds 
that  night  if  an  ambulance  ahead  of  us  had  not  been  going  the  same 
way,  for  all  I  could  see  through  that  mask  was  the  red  light  on  the 
rear  of  that  ambulance." 

The  listings  on  the  board  at  Epieds  had  not  been  kept  up  to  date.  There 
were  no  records  available  of  what  circuits  terminated  there,  or  how  to  route 
calls.  That  evening  conditions  became  most  hectic.  The  most  experienced 
operators  were  detailed  at  other  points  and  the  men  at  Epieds  were  attempting 
to  give  service  without  any  records  and  with  very  few  instructions.  The  night 
was  spent  in  preparing  an  accurate  set  of  records  and  listings.  This  exchange 
was  in  the  cellar  of  one  of  the  few  remaining  houses,  but  the  house  was  at  the 
intersection  of  five  roads,  and  the  Germans  who  had  recently  vacated  the  town 
knew  just  where  to  drop  their  shells.  Throughout  the  night,  large  calibre 
shells  with  a  scattering  of  gas  shells  landed  in  the  vicinity  of  these  cross  roads, 
each  successive  arrival  rattling  more  glass  out  of  the  building.  For  much  of 
the  time,  it  was  necessary  to  use  gas  masks.  The  "Tissot"  type  had  not  yet 
arrived.  Operating  the  switchboard  with  the  British  respirator  and  trying  to 
appease  various  exacting  officers  was  a  real  job,  especially  with  the  racket 
outside. 

The  front  line  remained  almost  stationary  for  several  days  while  the  42nd 
Division,  taking  up  its  headquarters  at  Artois  Farm,  relieved  the  26th. 
There  was  now  only  one  division  in  the  Corps  front  which  was  gradually 
becoming  contracted  as  the  sector  was  wiped  out.  The  322nd  Battalion 
continued  the  work  of  keeping  up  liaison  with  the  division  and  this  gave  Price 
a  chance  to  return  to  the  rear  headquarters  at  La  Ferte  for  a  much  needed 
two  days'  rest. 

During  the  lull  in  the  activities,  the  lines  to  the  rear  were  given  attention 
and  a  new  open  wire  Hne  was  started  from  Headquarters  at  Chateau  Mouche- 
ton  through  Epieds  and  down  to  Chateau  Thierry,  where  there  was  established 


THE   FIRST   AMERICAN   OFFENSIVE 


175 


Artillery  in  the  Forest  East  of  Chateau  Moucheton 


an  advanced  Headquarters  of  the  Army  and  a  new  rear  echelon  for  the  Corps. 
Along  the  road  there  still  remained  a  great  number  of  poles  from  the  French 
civil  lines,  which  gave  Collins  a  chance  to  make  good  speed.  At  Chateau 
Thierry  Gretzler  and  Russell  installed  the  exchange  in  the  basement  of  a 
chateau  which  had  been  recently  vacated  by  the  Germans.  The  Boche  had 
not  molested  the  furniture  in  the  building,  but  other  stock  of  the  chateau 
had  been  well  exhausted  as  was  evidenced  by  quantities  of  bottles  strewn  about 
the  building.  From  this  point  it  was  necessary  for  Collins  to  run  circuits 
across  the  broken  down  bridge  to  reach  the  Army  exchange  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Mame. 

With  detachments  from  the  Battalion  scattered  over  the  fighting  region, 
it  was  almost  impossible  for  the  mess  sergeants  to  keep  every  one  supplied 
with  rations.  The  Epieds  crew  was  particularly  unfortunate  in  receiving 
Battalion  supplies  and  set  about  caring  for  themselves.  In  the  yard  at  the 
rear  of  the  cellar  was  a  large  mass  of  junk  out  of  which  were  salvaged  a  stove 
and  various  utensils  and,  as  Murdaugh  reports: 

"The  Germans  in  their  hasty  retreat  overlooked  taking  with  them 
a  potato  patch  for  which  we  were  duly  thankful.  Bill  Temeson  found 
a  shovel  and  we  were  not  long  in  digging  a  sidecar  full  of  them. 
We  ate  so  many  French  fried  potatoes  here  that  if  we  passed  a  potato 
patch,  we  would  shy  off." 


176 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


In  the  region  northeast  of  Buire,  the  BattaHon  was  entering  that  section 
of  the  territory  which  the  Germans  had  been  organizing  for  their  main  line 
of  communication.  A  splendid  high  tension  line  had  been  erected  leading 
from  Buire  down  toward  Chateau  Thierry  and  a  well-built  telephone  line 
remained  in  place  through  the  forest  east  of  Moucheton,  running  toward 
Artois  Farm  and  Beauvardes.  During  a  period  of  comparative  inactivity, 
these  lines  were  surveyed  to  determine  what  use  could  be  made  of  them  when 
the  next  advance  was  started.  It  was  during  this  period  too  that  many  excur- 
sions were  made  to  the  forest  near  Moucheton,  where  the  Germans  abandoned 
the  foundation  of  one  of  the  "Big  Berthas"  with  which  they  had  been  shelling 
Paris.  Corps  Headquarters  had  moved  from  Buire  but  it  still  remained  the 
base  for  the  Battalion,  and  each  morning  working  parties  set  out  early  for 
Moucheton,  to  be  ready  to  jump  when  the  orders  came. 

Peterson  was  one  of  the  telephone  operators  selected  for  the  next  move, 
and  with  the  others  spent  his  days  near  the  trucks  at  Moucheton  waiting 
for  the  next  advance.  It  will  be  remembered  that  he  was  one  of  the  listening 
post  men  at  Seicheprey.  The  following  which  he  wrote  gives  a  good  idea  of 
conditions  at  this  time:  • 


Foundation  of  One  of  the  "Big  Berthas"  Which  Shelled  Paris 


THE   FIRST   AMERICAN   OFFENSIVE  177 

"We  are  still  for  a  few  minutes  waiting  for  orders  and  I  am  sitting 
in  the  truck,  dirty  and  muddy,  but  feeling  fine  and  in  the  best  of 
spirits,  as  I  hope  will  show  in  this  letter.  Why  shouldn't  we  feel 
in  good  spirits?  The  Boches  are  falling  back  and  we  are  advanc- 
ing so  fast  that  we  are  not  permitted  to  leave  the  truck  and  must  be 
ready  to  go  ahead  with  our  lines  at  any  minute.  This  is  great  stuff 
too, — thrilling  and  exciting.  As  you  know  I  have  seen  rough  stuff 
before,  last  March  mostly,  and  in  a  way  it  was  more  so  than  this, 
because  we  were  standing  there  and  under  fire  nearly  all  the  time, 
but  here  it  is  only  occasionally  that  we  get  mixed  up  with  the  explod- 
ing shells.  Of  course,  I  am  speaking  of  our  Company,  not  our  Army. 
It  has  been  the  same  for  over  a  week  now,  working  among  the  ruins 
of  towns  and  the  droves  of  troops. 

"We  often  get  to  work  in  places  before  the  dead  have  been  moved 
and  in  the  thick  woods  they  are  sometimes  missed  entirely,  but  it 
does  not  make  me  sad  to  see  the  Boche  all  busted  up,  lying  around 
on  the  ground.  It  is  still  a  mystery  to  me  why  human  beings  must 
be  slaughtered  this  way,  but  as  far  as  shivering  at  the  sight  of  them 
lying  around  all  cut  to  pieces,  that  is  past. 

"I  wrote  once  about  the  ugliness  of  the  narrow  strip  of  land 
behind  the  front,  but  it  is  different  here.  We  have  passed  through 
miles  of  it,  ruined  and  destroyed.  It  is  a  pity,  but  it  must  be  done. 
Our  own  guns  are  responsible  for  much  of  it.  But  the  destruction 
the  Boche  left  behind  is  pure  vandalism,  lots  of  it.  Furniture  in 
remnants  hacked  to  pieces  not  by  shells  but  by  axes.  I  didn't  realize 
in  my  other  experience  just  what  it  was  to  see  these  sights  and  the 
feelings  that  it  gives  to  look  at  them.  It  seems  strange  that  a  year 
ago  we  were  paying  out  our  good  money  for  Boche  souvenirs  that  are 
scattered  all  over  the  ground  now.  Everything  that  a  soldier  carries 
can  be  had  by  simply  picking  it  up.  But  nobody  touches  the  stuff. 
We  are  too  busy  and  we  have  all  that  we  can  do  to  carry  our  equip- 
ment. We  find  letters  and  all  sorts  of  personal  property  and  it  is  inter- 
esting,— German  writing  on  the  walls  and  German  signs  on  the  roads. 
It  begins  to  look  as  if  we  were  getting  somewhere.  I  just  want  to 
let  you  know  that  we  are  going,  and  getting  there,  and  that  America 
has  the  goods." 

The  civil  populace  had  begun  to  return  to  the  towns  which  were  retaken 
from  the  Germans.  When  these  poor  people  came  into  Buire  where  all  of 
their  furniture  and  almost  everything  else  had  been  destroyed  there  were 
many  pathetic  scenes.  Lieutenant  Meigs  became  the  big-hearted  protector 
for  one  French  woman  who  had  come  back  to  look  for  some  of  her  belongings 
before  the  arrival  of  her  aged  father.  She  had  walked  that  day  an  incredible 
distance  and  upon  her  arrival  at  Buire  was  almost  exhausted.  The  Lieutenant 
scouted  around  and,  having  given  her  a  good  meal,  fixed  up  a  place  where  she 
might  have  a  comfortable  and  undisturbed  sleep.  Throughout  the  remainder 
of  the  war,  the  Lieutenant  frequently  received  letters  of  deepest  gratitude 
from  her. 


Chapter  XIX 


0?i  to  the  Vesle 


S  THE  Allied  success  continued  and  the  enemy  retreated,  the  telephone 
exchanges  at  Picardie  Farm,  Belleau  and  Buire  were  abandoned  and 
test  stations  only  maintained  at  those  points.  Early  on  the  third  of 
August,  orders  were  given  to  rush  a  line  to  Fresnes  as  it  seemed  likely  that 
Corps  Headquarters  would  be  established  either  there  or  at  Sergy.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  patch  the  German  circuits  leading  east  from  Artois  Farm  to  which 
point  Boche  circuits  had  already  been  repaired.  But  the  wires  had  been 
badly  chopped  to  pieces.  The  few  good  stretches  had  been  used  by  the  42nd 
Division.  So  it  was  decided  to  run  twist.  It  was  the  intention  later,  if 
time  would  permit,  to  piece  out  the  enemy  circuits  and  recover  the  twist. 
By  two  o'clock  the  circuits  were  completed  to  Fresnes  and  into  the  house  which 
had  been  selected  as  an  exchange  in  case  this  was  to  be  Headquarters,  or  as  a 
connecting  point  should  Headquarters  be  at  Sergy.  Major  Behn  with  his 
Battalion,  the  322nd,  was  running  a  circuit  north  to  the  latter  town.  It 
had  been  raining  all  the  morning.  Scarcely  had  the  job  been  completed 
when  it  was  learned  that  the  morning's  work  had  been  wasted .  The  direction 
of  the  attack  had  shifted  and  neither  Sergy  nor  Fresnes  was  to  be  Corps 
Headquarters. 

178 


ON    TO    THE    FESLE  179 

Company  "D"  was  now  working  so  far  from  Buire  that  permission  was 
obtained  to  move  up  the  line.  On  the  morning  of  the  fourth,  camp  was 
broken  and  the  sections  started  north.  At  noon  word  reached  the  Company 
that  the  Corps  was  to  jump  to  Fere-en-Tardenois,  and  circuits  were  to  be  run 
to  that  town  immediately. 

Lieutenant  Guy  made  a  survey  of  the  Boche  lines  south  of  the  Foret  de 
Toumelle  and  Captain  Griest  covered  the  section  to  the  north.  The  best 
map  available  showed  a  road  running  through  the  forest  and,  as  there  was  no 
time  for  further  surveys,  it  was  assumed  that  circuits  could  be  strung  along 
this  forest  road  to  connect  the  two  portions  of  the  Boche  line. 

Cowan's  P.  C.  detail  was  immediately  dispatched  to  Fere-en-Tardenois 
to  install  equipment.  Woodward's  section  started  from  Fere-en-Tardenois 
to  build  down  to  Villeneuve,  while  Miller  started  at  Villeneuve  to  continue 
the  line  to  the  southwest.  Jensen's  section,  enlarged  by  a  group  from  "E" 
was  to  pick  up  the  circuits  near  Artois  Farm  and  run  through  the  woods  to 
connect  with  Miller.  It  developed  that  there  was  no  such  road  as  the  map 
indicated  and  Miller  had  headed  for  a  road  further  to  the  east.  To  add  to  his 
difficulties,  the  section  truck  had  become  mired  just  before  dark  and  the  heavy 
reels  of  field  twist  had  to  be  carried  by  hand.  In  a  heavy  storm,  and  in 
inky  darkness,  despite  "iron  rations"  at  noon,  and  no  evening  meal,  the 
men  struggled  through  the  woods.  Only  by  touch  and  frequently  calling  to 
each  other  could  they  keep  together.  Everywhere  were  shell  holes,  dugouts 
and  fan-shaped  groups  of  fox  holes  in  which  machine  gun  nests  had  been 
located.  These  were  filled  with  water  and  there  were  many  impromptu  baths 
as  the  men  picked  their  way  along  the  line  in  the  dark.  Just  before  midnight 
Miller  and  Jensen  managed  to  find  each  other.  The  sections  were  joined  and 
the  new  circuit  completed  to  Fere-en-Tardenois. 

Cowan  set  up  the  office  and  while  waiting  for  the  circuit  to  be  completed, 
Coates,  Noone  and  Heisler  had  time  to  place  all  of  the  equipment  in  perfect 
order.  A  new  terminal  box,  fitted  with  a  hand-made  cable  to  the  switchboard 
which  cut  down  materially  the  time  required  for  installation  and  added  greatly 
to  the  shipshape  appearance  of  the  exchange,  was  used  here  for  the  first  time. 
The  P.  C.  crowd  was  expected  to  mess  with  the  Headquarters  troop  but  that 
mess  failed  to  arrive.    Cowan  describes  the  situation: 

"Coates  saved  the  day  by  bringing  in  a  lot  of  vegetables  he  found 
in  a  nearby  garden.  These  vegetables  were  planted  by  the  French, 
cultivated  by  the  Germans,  and  eaten  by  Americans.  Frequently, 
we  had  corned  beef  in  various  ways — including  burnt.  However,  we 
always  managed  to  "rustle"  some  flour,  baking  powder  and  grease 
and,  with  our  iron  plate,  which  was  a  very  necessary  part  of  our 
equipment,  we  frequently  had  a  batch  of  hot  cakes.  "Rustling"  was 
often  the  only  way  we  could  get  things.    It  meant  sending  some  one 


i8o 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


after  almost  anything  and  then  not  asking  questions.  If  he  was  a 
good  rustler  he  always  brought  it  in,  be  it  a  part  of  an  automobile  or  a 
bed  or  a  cooking  utensil  or  food." 

The  construction  gangs  did  not  fare  so  well  the  night  the  Fere-en-Tardenois 
circuits  were  finished.  They  pulled  into  Beauvardes  about  two  in  the  morn- 
ing and  found  that  no  food  had  arrived.  But  they  did  find  a  floor  where  there 
was  room  to  sleep  and  here  they  stowed  themselves  away  wet  and  tired  and 
hungry.  It  had  been  a  rather  busy  Sunday.  The  next  morning  the  117th 
Signal  Battalion  of  the  42nd  Division,  generously  shared  their  limited  rations 
with  the  men  of  the  406th.  That  day  the  Battalion  assembled  at  Ville- 
neuve.  A  few  days  before,  this  little  town  had  been  used  as  a  German 
hospital. 

Open  wire  lines  on  poles  gave  much  more  satisfactory  service  than  the 
twist  on  the  ground.  As  fast  as  possible,  wire  was  placed  on  the  Boche  poles 
and  the  twist  recovered.  But  this  brought  new  troubles.  Near  Moucheton, 
trees  in  the  forest  which  had  been  shattered  by  shell  fire,  began  to  blow  over 
and  tear  down  the  lines.  It  became  necessary  to  place  patrols  so  that  every 
section  would  be  covered  at  least  once  in  fifteen  minutes.  After  repeated 
requests,  Dailey  who  had  worked  faithfully  as  a  cook,  was  put  back  on  line 
work.  He  drew  one  of  the  posts  on  this  patrol,  and  thus  describes  his  activi- 
ties: 

"I  was  unloaded  in  the  road  with  my  rations  and  pack,  which  I 
had  to  carry  up  the  side  of  the  hill,  through  the  woods.     When  the 


The  Main  Street  in  Fere-en-Tardenois 


ON    TO    THE    VESLE 


i8i 


At  Villeneuve 


Huns  built  this  line,  there  was  a  wonderful  lot  of  undergrowth.  They 
cut  it  off  about  eighteen  inches  high  leaving  the  stubs  sticking  up. 
With  the  tangled  iron  wire  scattered  about,  walking  was  almost 
impossible  especially  with  a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  across  my 
neck.  Reaching  my  location,  I  set  up  my  half  of  the  dog  tent  and 
made  a  connection  to  the  trunk  lines  that  we  were  to  watch  so  as  to 
report  every  fifteen  minutes. 

"This  being  finished,  I  went  back  to  my  tent  and  got  the  proper 
location  on  my  automatic  and  a  Springfield  that  I  had  found.  I  was 
not  at  all  comfortable  in  mind  as  there  were  plenty  of  Germans  still 
in  the  woods.  It  was  very  dark  and  the  odor  of  decomposed  flesh, 
both  human  and  horse,  was  very  strong.  My  partner  had  not  ar- 
rived when  suddenly  I  heard  the  leaves  and  undergrowth  cracking. 
I  eased  over  and  took  my  Springfield  and  closed  the  bolt  on  it  real 
quick  when  I  heard  the  cry  of  'Kamerad,  Kamerad,'  and  when  the 
two  husky  little  fellows  started  a  line  of  French  and  explanations,  you 
can  just  imagine  how  much  easier  I  felt,  for  I  had  been  some  scared. 
Anyway,  all  went  well  from  that  on  until  ten  o'clock  when  Lyons, 
my  partner,  arrived  and  so  did  Captain  Griest  with  the  informa- 
tion that  I  had  to  move  back  to  the  other  side  of  a  little  brook. 
This,  of  course,  meant  that  I  had  to  tear  down  all  that  I  had  built 
and  move.  That  is  just  where  the  army  got  in  wrong  with  me  again; 
but  we  moved  nevertheless  and  the  Captain  did  not  leave  imtil  some 
time  between  one  and  two  A.  M.  Lyons  and  I  finally  got  settled 
along  the  side  of  the  woods  and  hill  with  tons  of  German  ammuni- 
tion all  around  us,  mostly  machine-gun  and  hand  grenades  (potato- 


l82 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


mashers).  These  we  hung  on  trees  and  had  a  little  amusement  of 
our  own,  with  Denny  (Daniels)  up  on  top  of  the  hill  wondering  what 
was  going  on  down  below." 

At  Villeneuve  the  Battalion  took  account  of  stock  and  fixed  up  trucks 
and  tools  preparatory  for  the  next  drive.  Survey  parties  were  sent  out,  "E" 
Company  taking  the  territory  east  of  Fere  while  "D"  worked  to  the  west, 

and  the  locations  of  numerous  Boche  lines 
were  plotted  on  maps  for  future  use.  On  the 
tenth,  while  surveys  were  continuing  north 
of  the  little  River  Ourcq,  orders  came  for 
service  to  be  established  to  the  railhead 
at  Breny.  The  French  were  rapidly  repair- 
ing the  railroad  from  Paris  toward  Fere- 
en-Tardenois,  and  the  whole  of  "D"  Com- 
pany jumped  to  the  job  and  soon  had  the 
circuits  completed.  Along  this  railroad  there 
were  a  great  many  German  dead  who  had 
held  the  top  of  the  embankment,  where  they 
had  been  operating  machine  gun  nests,  until 
charged  by  the  on-coming  French  and 
Americans.  Every  one  of  the  bridges,  both 
on  the  railroad  and  on  highways  crossing 
above  the  railroad,  had  been  destroyed  and 
progress  was  difficult.  At  this  time,  Moss 
with  some  of  "E"  Company's  men,  ran  a 
line  from  Villeneuve  down  to  Coincy  to  take  care  of  a  new  field  for  the  air 
service. 

Warnings  were  constantly  given  against  handling  any  ammunition  or  other 
material  lying  around  the  battlefields,  particularly  because  of  Boche  traps. 
But,  in  spite  of  these  warnings,  large  quantities  of  souvenirs  found  their  way 
into  camp  and  heavy  mails  were  dispatched  to  the  States.  While  working 
on  the  line  to  Breny,  Eicholtz  kicked  aside  the  unexploded  cap  of  a  shell 
while  planting  a  lance  pole.  The  cap  exploded  and  he  was  hurried  to  the 
hospital  to  have  numerous  bits  of  steel  extracted  from  his  shins. 

At  last  there  was  a  Sunday  with  nothing  to  do  but  rest,  wander  over  the 
nearby  battlefields  and  write  letters  home.     Here  is  one  of  the  letters: 

"This  being  the  first  Sunday  afternoon  in  weeks  that  we  have 
not  been  tearing  wildly  on,  I  went  to  the  east  of  the  town  and  sat 
down  under  a  tree  on  the  slope  to  read.  To  the  north  stretched  a 
valley  through  which  the  Boches  have  recently  fled,  away  in  the 
distance  the  hills  to  the  north  and  northeast  showing  the  scars  of 
many  shells.     To  the  west  was  our  little  town  with  remarkably  few 


On  the  Line  to  Breny 


ON    TO    THE    VESLE 


183 


scars  showing  from  that  angle,  the  church  tower,  leaning  slightly, 
with  the  Boche  Red  Cross  flag  still  hanging  out.  It  was  a  lovely 
day  and  one  would  not  have  known  there  was  a  war  except  for  an 
occasional  buzz  high  up  in  the  air  as  one  of  the  big  planes  whirled 
by  or  a  distant  muffled  thud  from  the  artillery.  We  have  our  mess 
in  the  garden  of  a  place  which  the  Boche  must  have  used  for  their 
officers,  and  it  is  in  pretty  good  condition.  Our  officers  use  the 
library  of  the  house  for  their  mess  and  it  is  filled  with  Japanese 
books  and  ornaments.  The  owner  of  this  place  was  once  connected 
with  the  Japanese  consul's  office  at  Marseilles  and  he  had  some  stun- 
ning stuff  in  his  house. 

"The  people  are  coming  back  into  these  villages,  old  and  young, 
and  they  seem  to  be  gradually  recovering  some  of  their  effects  from 
various  piles  of  debris.  I  never  saw  so  many  box  mattresses.  The 
Boches  carried  them  to  the  woods  and  dugouts  and  left  them  there. 
But  most  of  the  feather  beds  have  been  slashed  and  the  feathers 
strewn  around. 

"The  other  day  I  went  down  through  the  woods  to  a  little  chateau 
where  we,  in  conjunction  with  the  French,  are  running  a  switch- 
board. It  was  sort  of  a  hunting  establishment  in  the  woods  and  had 
its  conservatories  and  a  big  lake  with  a  Japanese  garden.  The  place 
is  said  to  belong  to  an  American  woman  who  also  had  a  fine  house  in 
Chateau  Thierry  which  not  long  ago  was  No  Man's  Land.  Here 
Thevelin  and  Buehler  are  operating  the  switchboard  with  the  French 
soldiers  and  are  enjoying  an  elaborate  mess." 

On  the  twelfth,  orders  were  received  that  the  First  Corps  was  to  be 
relieved  by  the  Third  Corps  and  would  return  to  La  Ferte  for  a  rest.  The 
Battalion  moved  down  and  took  quarters  in  the  cavalry  drill  grounds.  It 
was  planned  at  once  to  have  an  inspection  and  then  permit  as  many  men  as 
possible  to  take  a  short  leave  at  Paris.  Several  trucks  were  dispatched  with 
their  happy  cargoes.  The  shop  gangs  were  again  unfortunate  but  the  trucks 
had  to  be  overhauled. 
Most  of  the  shop  men  had 
already  been  to  the  me- 
tropolis on  one  mission  or 
another  but  nevertheless 
they  were  loath  to  miss 
this  opportunity  after 
their  strenuous  services. 
One  of  them  wrote: 

"Our  return  to  La 
Ferte  was  supposed  to  be 
a  resting  up  period.  If 
it  was,  it  did  not  include 

the    shop    crew    among  The  Church  at  ViUeneuve-Note  the  German 

the  restmg  parties.  Red  Cross  Flag  Still  Flying 


184  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

The  Company  acquired  two  four-wheeled  trailers  which  had  to  be 
fixed  up  and  that  took  up  four  of  our  days.  Next  came  the  order  to 
disconnect  our  motorcycles  and  side  cars,  so  that  we  could  pack  these 
fast-wearing  vehicles  on  trucks,  thereby  avoiding  the  rough  use  ac- 
corded them  every  time  we  moved  from  one  sector  to  another." 

Speaking  of  leaves,  one  of  the  Motor  Dispatch  Service  men  was  asked, 
"Did  you  get  to  Paris?"    He  replied: 

"Officially  I  did  not.  But  when  you  consider  my  six  months' 
detached  service  as  a  Dispatch  Rider,  with  not  always  a  guiding 
hand,  with  a  gift  of  gab  and  a  M.  D.  S.  meaning  ('Must  Do  Some- 
thing') brassard  on  my  arm,  a  powerful  motorcycle,  plenty  of  gas, 
and  a  few  spare  hours  now  and  then,  well — comprenez  vous? 
J'etais  la!    Nuf  sed!" 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  sixteenth,  orders  arrived  stating  that  the  Corps 
was  to  move  early  the  following  day.  That  evening  the  sound  of  Boche 
airplanes  was  heard. 

As  soon  as  the  bombs  began  to  drop  Lieutenant  Meigs  with  TheveHn 
hastened  to  the  home  of  a  family  by  the  name  of  Quin  with  whom  they  had 
become  acquainted.  Mme.  Quin  was  afflicted  with  heart  trouble  and  Meigs 
knew  her  husband  would  have  his  hands  full  taking  care  of  her  during  the 
raid.  The  two  soldiers  with  M.  Quin  did  their  best  to  calm  the  woman. 
The  concussion  from  exploding  bombs  blew  the  doors  open  and  rattled  the 
glass  from  the  windows.  Everybody  was  running  for  shelter.  Scurrying 
footsteps  were  heard  on  the  gravel  walk  outside  as  one  then  another  ducked 
aroimd  the  comer  of  the  house  on  the  way  to  the  woods.  The  Boche  were 
aiming  at  the  town  and  the  woods  were  comparatively  safe. 

While  the  group  in  t^ie  house  were  in  the  midst  of  their  trouble,  and  Mme. 
Quin  seemed  in  imminent  danger  of  dying  from  the  excitement,  a  French 
soldier  rushed  into  the  room.  "Oo!  la!  la!"  "Americaines"  and  a  lot  of  other 
words  he  shouted  as  he  waved  his  arms  and  pointed  towards  an  orchard 
not  far  from  the  house.  All  were  too  busy  to  pay  any  attention  to  him. 
A  child,  the  six-year-old  daughter  of  M.  Quin,  was  crying  and  running 
around  hanging  onto  first  one  and  then  another  of  the  men.  Doors  banging, 
windows  breaking,  the  crying  child,  the  insistent  Frenchman,  the  seemingly 
dying  woman,  and  the  intermittent  explosions  from  dropping  bombs  made  a 
rather  full  evening. 

After  a  bit  Thevelin  managed  to  grasp  that  the  soldier  had  seen  some 
Boche  spies  in  American  tmiforms  in  the  orchard  signalling  to  the  raiders 
with  candles.  The  reason  for  his  excitement  was  then  apparent.  Meigs, 
pistol  in  hand,  followed  him  out  of  the  house  and  up  the  road  to  the  orchard. 
On  the  way  "Al"  Coates  met  the  pair  and  joined  them,  with  the  remark: 


ON    TO    THE    VESLE 


185 


"Orders  were  received 
.  .  to  return  to  La  Ferte 
for  a  rest.  The  Battalion 
moved  down  and  took 
quarters  in  a  Cavalry  drill 
grounds'* 


'  It  was  planned  at  once  to  have 
an  inspection" 


■79t-: 


View  of  the  Camp 


"I  don't  know  where  you're  going  or  what  you're  going  to  do,  but  I'm  with 
you." 

As  they  entered  the  orchard  they  dodged  from  tree  to  tree.  It  was  a 
particularly  black  night.  Suddenly  "La!  La!"  from  the  Frenchman.  Meigs 
and  Coates  looked  ahead  and  could  make  out  a  pup  tent  with  a  lighted  candle 
inside.    Two  men  in  American  uniforms  were  inside  apparently  asleep. 

Meigs  stuck  his  automatic  under  the  tent  and  in  his  gruffest  voice  yelled : 

"What  are  you  birds  doing  up  here?     Come  out  o'  there!" 

"Who  are  you?"  was  the  answer. 

"If  you  don't  come  out  quick  I'll  shoot  you  full  of  holes — the  both  of  you!" 

"Wait  until  we  get  our  shoes  on." 

"The  devil  with  your  shoes,"  and  by  way  of  assistance  Meigs  grasped  one 
of  them  by  the  foot  and  dragged  him  out  on  his  back.  The  other  one  followed 
without  further  argument. 

"Line  up!"  said  Meigs.    "What  are  you  doing  up  here?" 

"We  came  up  to  get  away  from  the  shelling." 

"This  Frenchman  says  he  saw  you  signalling  to  the  Boches." 

"He's  a  liar." 


i86 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


"Tell  it  to  Sweeney!  You  guys  march  down  the  road  and  if  either  one  of 
you  lets  out  a  peep,  this  gun'll  go  off." 

Here  Meigs  showed  one  of  his  characteristic  traits.  The  ground  was 
covered  with  stubble,  and  after  proceeding  a  few  feet,  he  ordered  his  prisoners 
to  halt  and  asked  Coates  to  get  their  shoes.  Meigs  and  Coates  then  marched 
them  down  to  Battalion  Headquarters.  Just  as  they  arrived,  another  excited 
Frenchman  came  up  and  said  something  to  Coates.  In  a  jiffy  the  two  dis- 
appeared and  in  a  very  few  minutes  came  back  with  a  third  man,  who  was 
accused  of  the  same  crime  and  captured  under  similar  circumstances. 

Major  Hubbell  appeared  at  a  second  story  window.  Meigs  and  Coates 
with  the  two  Frenchman  lined  up  their  three  prisoners  in  the  pitch  dark  street 
below.  Meigs  had  a  hard  time  holding  down  Coates  who  was  strong  for 
shooting  the  trio  on  the  spot.  Hubbell,  when  he  heard  the  story,  ordered 
Meigs  to  conduct  the  captured  men  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the  outfit 
to  which  they  claimed  to  belong. 

With  Meigs  ordering  them  to  step  lively,  and  Coates  "cussing"  the 
"blankety  blank  spies,"  the  procession  marched  up  the  street.  The  designated 
officer  was  aroused  and  he  took  charge  of  the  prisoners. 

During  the  bombard- 
ment a  bomb  fell  in  the 
midst  of  a  detachment 
of  Engineers  encamped 
nearby.  Five  were  killed 
and  fourteen  wounded. 
Immediately  Lieutenant 
Macf  arlan  was  on  the  job. 
With  Armstrong  and  a 
few  others  he  spent  hours 
that  night  taking  the  in- 
jured to  Coulommiers  as 
there  was  no  American 

hospital  at  La  Ferte.  Major  Watties  and  His  War-Scarred  Car 


Chapter  XX 
aS*/.  Mi  hie  I 


EARLY  on  the  morning  of  August  seventeenth,  the  Battalion  set  out  for 
new  fields.  All  of  the  orders  were  secret  and  great  care  was  used  to 
camouflage  the  entire  movement.  The  Corps  units  left  La  Ferte  at 
different  hours,  all  going  in  different  directions.  The  406th  headed  first  for 
Montmirail.  There  was  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  in  traveling  along  this  road 
which,  when  the  Battalion  had  moved  from  Neufchateau  to  La  Ferte,  was  too 
close  to  the  German  positions  to  permit  of  daylight  travel. 

At  Montmirail  orders  were  received  to  proceed  to  Sezanne.  Without 
knowing  how  much  or  what  kind  of  service  might  be  required,  an  advance 
party  was  organized  to  rush  ahead  on  a  moment's  notice  to  start  an  installation 
for  Corps  Headquarters. 

Progress  had  not  been  entirely  satisfactory  during  the  first  morning  as 
some  of  the  heavier  trucks  persisted  in  giving  trouble.  After  a  halt  for  mess 
at  noon  the  train  was  rearranged,  the  lighter  vehicles  under  Lieutenant 
Macfarlan  proceeding  ahead  to  Brienne-le-Chateau,  the  next  stop.  The  heavier 
trucks  followed  with  the  trailers.  The  weary  caravan  after  mess  that  evening 
slept  in  the  open,  few  taking  the  trouble  even  to  pitch  shelter  tents. 

Before  sunrise  the  train  was  again  on  the  road  and  proceeded  to  Bar-sur- 
Aube.  The  journey  led  along  the  valley  of  the  Aube,  through  villages  in 
which  the  church  bells  were  calling  the  worshippers  to  Sunday  services.    Every- 

187 


ON    THE    WAY    FROM    THE    MARNE    TO    ST.    MIHIEL 


188 


ST.    MIHIEL  189 


where  there  was  an  atmosphere  of  peace  and  rest  which  seemed  unreal  to  this 
crowd  who  had  so  recently  been  plugging  ahead  through  the  destruction  and 
horrors  of  war. 

By  noon  the  train  passed  Chaumont  and  was  headed  northeast  along  the 
familiar  road  to  Neufchateau.  Just  outside  the  town  the  trucks  were  held 
while  Major  Hubbell  endeavored  to  obtain  definite  instructions  concerning 
the  next  stop.  The  French  official  at  Bar-sur-Aube,  not  having  any  orders 
for  the  406th,  had  inquired  from  French  General  Headquarters  and  had 
headed  the  Battalion  toward  its  final  destination  before  any  one  outside  the 
General  Staff  had  the  information,  and  while  the  rest  of  the  First  Corps  was 
going  to  a  rest  area  southeast  of  Chaumont.  To  correct  this  mistake  the 
Battalion  was  directed  to  Toul.  As  the  trucks  moved  through  Neufchateau, 
greetings  were  exchanged  between  the  men  and  the  friends  whom  they  had 
made  during  the  previous  winter.  Air  units,  infantry  and  artillery  crowded 
the  road,  all  trying  to  get  along  to  their  destinations  and  there  was  no  oppor- 
tunity for  evening  mess.  Shortly  before  midnight,  in  the  light  of  the  full 
moon  and  with  German  airplanes  soaring  overhead,  the  trucks  pulled  into  the 
old  French  barracks  at  Toul,  were  quickly  arranged  under  the  trees  and  the 
men  relieved  for  food  and  rest.  But  some  one  had  made  another  mistake  and 
the  train  was  compelled  to  reform  and  move  to  another  "Caserne." 

The  Battalion  as  a  part  of  the  First  Army  Corps  was  to  take  part  in  that 
great  offensive  which  was  to  wipe  out  the  St.  Mihiel  Salient.  The  Germans 
had  held  the  territory  for  four  years.  For  a  few  short  weeks  the  First  Army 
Corps  would  have  a  chance  to  recuperate  after  the  strenuous  days  on  the 
Mame  and  Vesle.  And  then  was  to  come  the  period  of  preparation,  so  neces- 
sary to  insure  the  success  of  the  attack. 

The  day  after  the  Battalion  reached  Toul  the  advance  party  under  Lieuten- 
ant Hasskarl  was  sent  on  to  Saizerais  to  become  familiar  with  the  circuits 
centering  at  that  place.  These  were  then  being  maintained  and  operated  by 
the  First  American  Division. 

For  three  days  the  Battalion  remained  in  the  barracks  at  Toul.  The  men 
of  the  322d  Battalion  challenged  the  406th  to  a  baseball  game.  The  322d 
team  was  organized  in  America  before  coming  to  France  and  had  been  playing 
together  for  some  time.  When  the  amateur  team  of  the  406th  tackled  them,  it 
could  hardly  be  called  a  game — it  was  a  slaughter. 

By  the  twenty-first  various  officers  and  units  belonging  to  Corps  Head- 
quarters began  to  arrive  at  Saizerais.  The  406th  moved  up  and  took  over 
the  exchange  in  that  town  and  classified  the  many  French  circuits  terminating 
there.  Those  not  engaged  in  this  work  moved  to  Liverdun,  billets  being 
scarce  in  Saizerais,  and  pitched  tents  in  a  meadow  between  the  canal  and  the 
river  Moselle.    The  days  were  warm  and  the  river  was  a  great  attraction. 


190 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


LLGE.ND 

Main  Hiijhways  -* 
Scale 


Railro&ds 


St.  Mihiel,  Saizerais  and  Surrounding  Territory 


It  had  been  planned  during  the  late  spring  to  celebrate  the  anniversary 
of  the  mobilization  of  the  Battalion  at  Monmouth  Park.  But  the  middle 
of  June  found  "E"  Company  en  route  to  La  Ferte  and  "D"  scattered  over  the 
area  back  of  Toul.  The  anniversary  of  the  arrival  in  France  found  the  Bat- 
talion in  better  shape  for  a  celebration  and  a  dinner  was  held  in  Liverdun. 
Officers  and  mess  sergeants  scoured  the  country  seeking  a  supply  of  fruit  and 
green  vegetables  and  "smokes"  which  had  become  scarce.  The  Telephone 
Employees  fund  was  drawn  on  again  and  Colonel  Voris  and  Captain  Gauss 
came  down  from  Saizerais  to  attend  the  celebration. 

In  the  earlier  days  in  France,  air  raids  were  not  so  common  as  they  became 
here  in  the  St.  Mihiel  region.  One  night  before  Bill  Brittain  left  the  Battalion, 
a  number  of  Boche  planes  came  over.  There  was  a  rush  to  "douse"  the  lights. 
Only  one  candle  remained  burning.  There  was  a  reason.  It  belonged  to 
"Bull"  Marr  and  he  was  engaged  in  the  most  exacting  of  sciences — "reading 
his  shirt."  He  needed  all  the  candle  power  available  to  locate  the  elusive 
enemy. 

"Thank  Heaven  they  can't  jump,"  drawled  "Bull,"  referring  to  the 
cooties.     Airplanes  seemed  far  from  his  thoughts  in  spite  of  the  roar  overhead. 

"Til  make  somebody  jump,"  yelled  Brittain  as  he  heaved  a  vacant  boot 
at  the  candle.    His  aim  was  perfect. 


ST.    MIHIEL  191 


A  large  ammunition  factory  located  in  Liverdun  seemed  to  attract  Boche 
flyers.  This  town  was  in  constant  danger  too  from  the  bombers  who  fol- 
lowed the  Moselle  toward  Toul.  And  if  the  anti-aircraft  guns  made  the  air 
around  Toul  uncomfortable  the  planes  came  back  along  the  river.  So  Liver- 
dun  was  reasonably  sure  of  attention  from  overhead.  A  canal  passed  under 
a  part  of  the  town  and  on  clear  nights  when  the  airplanes  were  particularly 
active  the  population  was  wont  to  retreat  to  the  tunnel  to  sleep  on  the  tow 
path.  Many  of  the  Battalion  men  did  likewise,  forsaking  their  pup  tents. 
Those  who  during  quiet  periods  scorned  the  tvmnel,  did  not  place  it  beneath 
their  dignity  to  rush  "hotfoot"  for  the  tow  path  when  bombs  began  to  drop. 
They  made  such  speed  that  sometimes  the  lack  of  a  proper  respect  for  sharp 
turns  in  the  canal  sent  some  of  them  headlong  into  the  water. 

About  the  last  of  the  month  Major  Hubbell  received  orders  directing  him 
to  return  to  the  United  States  for  the  purpose  of  training  troops.  Before 
leaving  he  addressed  the  Battalion,  expressing  his  appreciation  for  the  co- 
operation of  the  men,  and  his  regret  at  leaving  just  when  big  things  were  about 
to  happen.  A  farewell  party  was  given  by  the  officers  on  the  night  of  August 
30th  and  he  left  the  next  day.  When  about  three  hundred  miles  off  the  coast 
of  France  the  "Mt.  Vernon,"  on  which  he  was  a  passenger,  was  torpedoed. 
The  ship  with  a  great  gap  torn  in  her  side  was  able  to  reach  Brest.  He  sailed 
again,  this  time  on  the  " Wilhelmina, "  and  after  reaching  the  States  completed 
a  course  in  the  War  College  at  Washington.  He  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  assigned  as  Signal  Officer  to  the  i6th  Division,  then 
at  Camp  Kearny,  California. 

Captain  Griest  was  on  leave  at  the  time  and  Lieutenant  Meigs  ran  the 
Battalion  until  the  former  returned  on  September  second,  to  take  command 
of  the  organization.  Meigs  was  taken  from  his  beloved  Supply  job  to  com- 
mand Company  "D"  with  Lieutenants  Price  and  Guy  as  his  assistants 
Lieutenant  Foust  remained  in  command  of  Company  "E,"  retaining  Lieu- 
tenant Hasskarl.  Lieutenant  Pearson  became  the  Supply  Officer.  Lieutenants 
Donaldson  and  Woodward  were  transferred  to  other  organizations.  Sergeant 
Major  Magill  continued  to  care  for  the  duties  of  the  adjutant's  office.  The 
following  gives  the  line-up  : 

Captain  Griest — Commanding 

Headquarters                         Supply  Medical 

2nd  Lt.  Pearson  ist.  Lt.  Macfarlan 

Adjutant                        Supply  Officer  Medical  Officer 

Company  "D"  Company  "E" 

1st  Lt.  Meigs,  Commanding  ist  Lt.  Foust,  Commanding 

2nd  Lt.  Price  2nd  Lt.  Hasskarl 


2nd  Lt.  Guy 


AT    LIVERDUN 


192 


ST.    MIHIEL  193 


With  the  exception  of  the  group  who  were  operating  and  maintaining  the 
office  at  Saizerais  and  the  motor  men  who  were  busy  overhauling  the  machines, 
the  Battalion  spent  the  latter  part  of  August  in  rest.  Permission  was  granted 
a  few  of  the  men  to  visit  Nancy,  about  25  kilometers  distant.  In  order  to  reach 
the  city,  it  was  necessary  to  walk  to  Marbache  and  at  that  place  board  a 
street  car.  To  play  safe  the  men  approached  a  civilian  in  the  latter  town;  to 
inquire  as  to  the  proper  car.  Little  information  could  be  secured  how- 
ever for  the  civilian  could  not  seem  to  understand  what  the  Americans 
wanted. 

"Let  me  try  it,"  said  Slim  Spangler. 

"Monsieur,"  he  asked,  "Street-ee  car-ee  run-ee  from-ee  here-ee  to  Nancy  ?" 

"Je  ne  comprends  pas,"  was  the  reply. 

"Dam  these  Frenchmen,"  was  Slim's  comment,  "They  can't  understand 
their  own  lingo!" 

Early  in  September  preparations  for  the  "show"  developed  rapidly.  The 
Corps  called  for  help  in  the  transportation  of  troops.  Sixteen  trucks  were 
sent  to  haul  the  Second  Division  from  Colombey-les-Belles  to  positions  near 
the  line.  This  work  was  done  at  night  without  lights,  and  as  the  rain  had  again 
started,  the  roads  were  treacherous. 

Next  in  order  was  the  hauling  of  ammtinition.  The  406th  delivered  some 
thirty  thousand  rounds  of  machine  gun  ammunition,  and  two  thousand  each 
of  75  mm.  and  155  mm.  shells.  But  operating  and  construction  jobs  were 
becoming  urgent,  and  every  available  man  was  required  for  the  work.  The 
Corps  agreed,  therefore,  to  furnish  relief  drivers  if  the  Battalion  furnished 
trucks  with  chauffeurs  and  lookouts.  Armstrong  tells  of  a  couple  of  these 
trips,  on  one  of  which  he  came  to  grief: 

"One  night  we  were  sent  out  about  5:30  to  report  to  Marbache, 
a  large  French  ammunition  center.  After  "parleying"  we  got  loaded 
about  1 1 :30  and  started  for  the  front.  After  driving  around  until 
daylight,  we  found  ourselves  in  the  town  of  Mamey.  Starting  up 
a  road  which  led  direct  to  the  third  line  trenches,  an  M.  P.  told  us  the 
Boche  were  shelling  the  roads  and  killing  a  lot  of  artillery  men  and 
horses.  But  Conway  and  Cavanagh  decided  with  me  to  go  on  to 
get  rid  of  our  loads.  After  a  little  drive  we  reached  a  road  on  which 
ahead  of  us  they  had  just  killed  four  American  boys  and  two  horses 
on  a  caisson.  We  were  held  by  traffic  for  a  short  time.  Fritz,  in  the 
meantime,  had  been  shelling,  killing  and  wounding  quite  a  number 
of  boys.  We  had  scarcely  gone  a  thousand  yards  until  we  came  upon 
six  French  three-ton  trucks  stuck  and  the  road  blocked.  We  decided 
to  go  around  them  and  made  our  way  through  a  field.  After  going  on 
for  about  twenty  minutes  we  were  stopped  again ;  getting  out  and  look- 
ing back  we  saw  Fritz  drop  over  a  few  large  ones  and  clear  the  French 
trucks  away.  We  reached  our  destination  that  afternoon  at  4 130  and 
started  back  for  our  company,  having  had  nothing  to  eat  all  this  time. 


194 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


"Another  night  we  had  gone  over  a  large  pontoon  bridge.  There 
was  a  very  sharp  turn  and  a  string  of  three-ton  trucks  coming  in 
the  opposite  direction.  We  turned  too  far  and  our  truck  went  over  an 
eighteen-foot  bank.  I  tried  to  jump  but  was  thrown  and  landed  on 
my  left  knee.  Cavanagh  being  in  the  rear  came  to  my  assistance 
and  we  tried  to  find  the  other  chauffeur,  as  we  thought  he  was  pinned 
•  under  the  car,  but  he  had  gotten  out  safely.  I  was  taken  to  the 
hospital  the  next  day." 

Frequently  these  errands  were  completed  only  because  of  the  intelligence 
and  initiative  of  the  chauffeurs  and  noncoms  of  the  406th.  Not  once 
was  a  vehicle  belonging  to  this  Battalion  abandoned  by  the  wayside.  If  a 
machine  came  to  grief  one  man  was  always  left  to  guard  it  while  another  found 
his  way  back  to  the  Battalion  to  obtain  help.  Urffer  tells  what  was  done  with 
Armstrong's  truck: 

"The  shop  crew  was  delegated  to  move  the  truck  back  on  the 
road  and  as  this  spot  was  in  range  of  the  enemy  guns,  the  Huns 
naturally  took  great  pains  to  keep  well  informed  as  to  what  was  going 
on  there.  So,  whenever  we  heard  the  noise  of  a  "plane  up,"  we 
took  cover,  and  in  this  way,  managed  to  get  the  truck  back  on  the 
road  without  any  punishment  from  Fritz." 


During  the  Marne  offensive,  when  clothing  was  not  readily  obtainable,  it 
was  sometimes  necessary  to  pick  up  from  abandoned  German  stores,  service- 
able garments.  Daniels,  better  known  as  "Corporal  Dinny,"  or  "One-punch 
Daniels,"  thus  acquired  a  Boche  shirt,  built  on  the  Hnes  of  a  night  gown. 
He  managed  to  retain  possession  of  it  during  the  work  at  Saizerais.  Just  before 
the  St.  Mihiel  drive,  the  men  were  working  twenty  or  more  hours  a  day  and 
when  they  had  a  chance  to  sleep,  it  took  more  than  an  ordinary-  air  raid  to 
chase  them  to  the  abris.  Also,  so  few  air  warnings  proved  serious,  that  it 
was  customary  when  the  alert  was  given,  for  the  men  to  turn  over  and  sleep 

the  more  soundly.  Dinny  had 
*''"  ^^  been  a  great  collector  of  sou- 
venirs. He  always  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  lot  of  his  tro- 
phies. Near  the  camp  one 
night  an  ammunition  dump 
caught  fire.  The  exploding 
shells  gave  an  imitation  of  an 
air  raid — only  many  times 
worse.  Most  of  the  men  de- 
cided that  the  abri  was  not 
such  a  bad  place  after  all. 
Armstrong's  Truck  Dinny  was  the  last  man  to 


ST.    MI  HI  EL 


195 


go.  He  had  on  his  Boche  shirt  which  extended  nearly  to  his  ankles.  He  put 
on  his  helmet,  picked  up  his  gas  mask,  collected  his  souvenirs,  and  without 
any  great  haste  started  for  the  cave,  "cussing"  the  Boche  at  every  step.  When 
he  was  about  fifty  feet  from  the  cave  a  Boche  plane  passed  over.  It  fired. 
A  hidden  machine  gun  crew  nested  a  few  feet  from  the  spot  Dinny  was  passing. 
It  began  to  fire  at  the  plane,  which  returned  the  compliment.  Both  were  using 
tracer  bullets  and  firing  at  about  200  to  the  minute.    Dinny  looked  up  at  the 


The  Town  of  Montsec  as  Viewed  from  Montsec  Heights 


first  shot,  discarded  his  souvenirs  at  the  second,  his  helmet  and  mask  at  the 
third,  pulled  up  the  long  shirt  at  the  fourth,  and  was  twenty  feet  inside  the 
cave  at  the  fifth. 

"What's  your  hurry,  Dinny?"  asked  Banholzer. 

"Well  I'll  tell  you.  Kid.  I  had  a  notion  to  stay  out  there  and  watch  the 
fire  works.  Then  I  had  another  that  beat  the  other  all  to  the  devil.  As  long 
as  I  had  my  running  clothes  on,  I  decided  to  run  in  here." 

The  tent  camp  in  the  meadow  at  Liverdun  was  exposed  to  air  observa- 
tion and,  besides,  the  nights  were  becoming  extremely  cold.  So,  on  the  fifth 
of  September,  the  Battalion  moved  into  a  series  of  stable  and  hay  loft 
billets  within  the  town. 

The  positions  throughout  this  sector  had  been  almost  stationary  for  four 
years  and  were  well  organized.  There  were  signal  lines  in  all  directions. 
In  Saizerais  the  French  had  two  switchboards  to  which  the  First  Division 


196  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

Signal  men  had  added  an  American  board.  The  concentration  of  troops  in 
the  area  made  necessary  the  installation  of  three  more.  Even  with  all  of  this 
equipment  the  operators  had  their  hands  full.     As  Craigmile  says: 

"The  living  conditions  at  Saizerais  were  fairly  good,  but  that 
office  was  a  madhouse.  Our  switchboard  equipment  was  very  much 
overloaded,  and  it  was  a  common  thing  to  have  all  the  cords  up  and 
still  see  the  drops  falling  like  snowflakes.  Nevertheless  we  managed 
to  give  fairly  good  service." 

In  order  to  check  all  of  the  existing  maps  and  to  have  absolutely  reliable 
information  concerning  routes  when  new  circuits  were  ordered,  Lieutenant 
Hasskarl  with  Murdaugh  and  Collins  made  surveys  of  the  .territory  between 
Noviant  and  Pont-a-Mousson.  Instructions  to  these  men  necessarily  were 
meagre  and  not  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  methodical  "Dad"  Murdaugh, 
who  wrote,  "We  were  sent  out  to  get  acquainted  with  the  lay  of  the  land  with 
specifications : 

"'Don't  know  which  route, 
Don't  know  how  many  circuits  will  be  needed, 
Don't  know  when  we  will  want  them. 
But  get  the  information  d quick.'" 

As  preparations  became  more  active,  another  call  was  made  for  the 
Battalion  vehicles.  During  the  Aisne-Marne  offensive  the  machines  at  Corps 
Headquarters  had  been  used  so  incessantly  that  many  were  entirely  out  of 
service.  Chauffeur  McFarland  with  a  car  and  V.  P.  King,  Geib,  Giles,  A.  E. 
McCann  and  Herzer  with  motorcycles  were  dispatched  to  Saizerais  where 
they  entered  into  a  long  period  of  continuous  driving,  day  and  night,  convoying 
ammunition  trains  to  advance  depots,  carrying  observers  to  points  of  vantage 
from  which  they  might  note  the  effects  of  gas  and  of  different  types  of  shells, 
and  doing  miscellaneous  courier  duty  between  the  corps  and  divisions.  Dur- 
ing this  service,  King  was  hit  by  an  ammunition  truck,  his  arm  and  leg  broken 
and  the  motorcycle  demolished.  He  remained  in  the  hospital  until  long  after 
the  Armistice  was  signed.  In  addition  to  the  loss  of  King,  this  service  with 
the  Corps  cost  the  Battalion  one  car  and  two  motorcycles,  the  other  three 
motorcycles  being  returned  for  repairs  in  October. 

As  the  divisions  moved  toward  their  positions  in  the  line,  various  ex- 
changes were  turned  over  to  details  from  the  Battalion.  Gretzler  and  Mum- 
ford  were  assigned  to  the  dugout  at  Domevre,  from  which  could  be  seen  the 
enemy  artillery  in  action  across  the  valley.  At  Tremblecourt,  Long  with  his 
small  crew  operated  an  important  office  through  which  passed  many  circuits 
to  neighboring  corps  and  divisions.  The  switchboard  was  of  French  manu- 
facture and  was  so  worn  that  it  required  all  of  Long's  ingenuity  to  keep  it  in 
service.     Devlin  took  over  the  exchange  at  Martincourt  and  was  kept  busy  on 


ST.    MIHIEL 


197 


the  low  stake  lines  running 
toward  Pont-a-Mousson 
and  St.  Jacques.  He  was 
joined  on  the  night  of  the 
attack  by  Sergeant  Klin- 
gensmith.  In  a  well  tim- 
bered dugout  on  the  south 
slope  of  the  hill  at  Manon- 
ville,  Buehler  and  Cannon 
cared  for  the  telephone 
needs  of  the  Fifth  Marines. 
Gaghagen  ran  the  ex- 
change in  a  huge  dugout 
at  Minorville,  and  his 
small  group  of  operators 
and  maintenance  men 
were  almost  lost  in  their 
rat-  and  cootie-infested 
home.  It  might  in  its  cor- 
ridors and  caverns  have 
comfortably  accommo- 
dated a  thousand  men. 

These  forward  ex- 
changes were  busy  places, 
but  even  busier  were  the 
offices  at  Saizerais  and 
Liverdun  where  all  of  the  Corps  business  was  centered.  Lieutenant  Guy 
was  in  charge  at  Saizerais  and  with  him  were  Spears,  Miller  and  Heisler 
doing  the  maintenance,  and  Lynch  in  charge  of  the  telephone  operating. 
Earlix  was  in  charge  of  the  telegraph  service,  and  day  after  day  the  six  tele- 
graph operators  handled  a  business  so  great  that  when  the  Corps  was  relieved 
after  the  drive  had  reached  its  limit,  the  incoming  organization  assigned  twelve 
men  to  handle  the  work.  Dickson  established  the  exchange  at  Liverdun  and 
ttimed  it  over  to  Gallo  who  handled  the  steady  flow  of  messages  toward  the 
rear. 

The  tables  of  organization  for  a  telegraph  Battalion  called  for  twelve 
telephone  operators.  The  Battalion  officers  thought  they  had  estimated 
liberally  when  sixteen  men  were  trained  for  this  work.  But  to  serve  all  of  the 
exchanges  just  mentioned  required  thirty.  Operating  was  not  a  job  which 
any  of  the  men  would  have  chosen.  It  was  "fussy"  work.  And  the  American 
Army  had  grown  so  rapidly  that  the  importance  of  using  code  names  was  not 
thoroughly  appreciated  by  some  of  the  newer  arrivals  in  France.     Gallo  says: 


The  Dugout  at  Minorville 


198  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

"Many  times  we  had  to  refuse  service;  for  instance — some  one 
would  call  the  406th  Telegraph  Battalion.  Our  instructions  were 
to  say,  'We  do  not  know  the  406th  Telegraph  Battalion,  never  heard 
of  them.'  If  the  person  had  called  for  'Buster  41,'  he  would  have 
gotten  the  '406th'  at  once.  But  a  good  many  never  realized  what 
the  codes  amounted  to  and  most  of  them  tried  to  get  around  them 
by  saying,  'This  is  Captain  or  Major  So-and-So.'  Well,  we  had  to 
refuse  them  too,  and  if  they  cussed  too  hard  we  switched  them  on 
to  the  'old  man'  (Colonel  Voris)  for  a  cooling  down." 

Operating  seven  exchanges  and  maintaining  the  lines  between  them,  to- 
gether with  furnishing  large  truck  details  for  hauling  troops  and  ammunition, 
left  few  from  a  Battalion  of  a  couple  of  hundred  men  for  new  construction. 
But  the  troops  of  the  ist  Army  had  started  an  eight-wire  line  from  Toul  to 
Saizerais  and  called  for  assistance,  fearing  that  they  would  be  unable  to  com- 
plete it  in  time  for  the  attack.  During  four  days  of  excessive  rain 
Lieutenant  Price  with  all  of  the  men  who  could  be  spared  ran  the  circuits 
along  the  railroad  from  Toul  to  Pagny-sur-Meuse  while  the  401st  Telegraph 
Battalion  (recruited  from  the  New  England  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Com- 
pany) continued  the  line  to  ist  Army  Headquarters  at  Ligny  en  Barrois. 
This  line  was  probably  one  of  the  most  irritating  pieces  of  construction  that 
had  been  assigned  to  the  Battalion.  The  time  was  extremely  short  and  it 
was  a  long  trip  from  Liverdun  to  the  job.  The  line  was  erected  on  poles, 
most  of  which  were  "H"  fixtures.  There  was  a  high  and  thorny  hedge  running 
along  the  railroad  and  each  coil  of  wire  had  to  be  dragged  over  this  hedge, 
taken  up  over  the  crossarm  and  handed  down  on  the  other  side.  And  the  rain 
beat  down  constantly.  However,  the  line  was  completed,  and  in  time  for  the 
offensive. 

As  new  divisions  were  assigned  to  the  Corps  the  French  line  leading 
along  the  main  axis  toward  Domevre  became  too  heavily  loaded  to  handle 
the  business.  A  detachment  was  gathered  by  Miller  and  eight  additional 
wires  placed  on  these  poles.  Fortunately,  the  underground  cable  which 
carried  the  line  under  the  roads  at  crossings  to  prevent  its  being  cut  down  by 
the  movement  of  observation  balloons,  contained  enough  wires  for  the  new 
circuits. 

The  time  of  the  attack  drew  near.  While  the  Army  circuits  were  being 
hurried,  men  from  the  maintenance  details  ran  circuits  from  the  Corps  switch- 
board at  Saizerais  to  railheads  and  to  ammunition  dumps  at  Marbache, 
Millery,  Custines  and  Champigneulles.  Arrangements  were  made  for  taking 
care  of  the  forward  lines.  Additional  material  was  sent  to  various  advance 
centers.  Ryno  was  made  a  supervising  wire  chief  and  traveled  constantly 
through  the  forward  regions,  inspecting  exchanges  to  see  that  everything  was 
fit.     From  a  communication  standpoint,  all  was  in  readiness  for  the  offensive. 


ST.    MIHIEL 


199 


At  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  September  twelfth  there  was  started  such 
a  barrage  as  had  never  before  been  known.  For  four  hours  it  continued. 
The  men  in  the  small  exchanges  up  the  line  were  in  a  position  to  appreciate 
its  intensity.  Buehler  and  Cannon  at  Manonville  and  Devlin  and  Klinge- 
smith  at  Martincourt  with  their  details  were  in  the  midst  of  it,  being  ahead  of 
the  American  artillery,  but  Gretzler  at  Domevre  was  up  on  the  plateau  from 
which  he  could  watch  the  action.  Gaghagen  in 
his  huge  dugout  at  Minorville  was  so  far  under- 
ground that,  as  he  said  later,  except  for  trouble 
on  his  lines  he  should  hardly  have  known  there 
was  anything  extraordinary  going  on. 

Koser  gives  a  realistic  description : 

"By  one  o'clock  of  the  morning  of 
September  12th  the  First  Corps  office 
with  its  four  boards  was  ready  for  the  of- 
fensive. 

"At  that  hour  I  was  asleep.  At  ten 
minutes  past,  our  barrage  opened  up. 
Suddenly  the  whole  world  rocked.  It  was 
magnificent,  and  it  was  terrible.  I  sat  up 
in  my  bunk  to  listen.  Just  then,  in  burst 
our  Chief  Operator,  Mike  Lynch,  calling 
for  me  to  turn  to  and  help  the  night  man, 
Dave  MacRonald. 

"The  very  first  call  I  answered  was 
from  the  C.  G.  of  the  Fifth  Division,  who 
asked  for  'Buster  3,'  the  code  for  Gen- 
eral Craig.  No  man  in  the  world  could 
have  refrained  from  'listening'  in  for  a 
moment.  The  C.  G.  said  that  every- 
thing was  going  fine,  no  retaliation  fire. 
Each  Division  of  the  Corps  was  heard 
from  during  the  next  half-hour,  and  when 
the  first  let-up  came  I  stole  out  on  to  the 
hill  to  have  a  look  about.  I'll  attempt 
no  description  of  the  scene.  If  I  did  jus- 
tice to  it,  no  one  would  believe  me.  All 
along  the  salient  was  an  inferno  of  fire, 
while  the  mighty  thunder  of  the  artillery 
kept  the  skies  and  earth  throbbing.  For 
fifteen  minutes  I  gazed  on  this  greatest 
artillery  concentration  the  earth  has  ever 
seen,  and  then  ran  back  to  the  ofl[ice. 

"Our  board  wasn't  very  busy  until 
the  Zero  Hour,  5  A.  M.  But  when  the 
Infantry  went  over,  hell  burst  loose  in  The  "Old  Man"— Coi.  Voris 


200  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

that  office.  There  were  four  positions,  and  more  than  enough  traffic 
for  four  operators.  I  worked  from  three  to  eight  in  the  morning,  took 
two  hours  off,  came  back  at  ten,  was  reheved  at  twelve,  went  back  at 
two  and  then  stuck  it  out  pretty  much  uninterruptedly  until  late  in 
the  evening.  The  office  was  like  a  madhouse  that  first  day,  the  boards 
were  too  close  together  and  we  all  yelled  like  furies  to  make  ourselves 
heard.  Artillery,  Signal  Corps,  Ambulance,  Infantry,  Aviation,  Tanks, 
Pigeon  Service,  Gas,  Engineers — all  pell-melled  into  this  office, 
each  in  a  desperate  hurry  and  fighting  for  right  of  way.  Some- 
times, when  I  look  back  on  that  day,  I  feel  that  should  I  ever  be 
asked  whether  I  know  anything  about  operation,  I  can  truthfully 
say  that  once  upon  a  time  I  had  a  bit  of  experience  with  a  little 
board  tucked  away  beneath  a  hill  'way  off  in  a  neck  of  the  woods 
you've  never  heard  of." 

These  details  kept  their  exchanges  working,  and  repaired  the  frequently 
torn  wires.  When  the  direction  of  the  advance  was  determined.  Colonel  Voris 
ordered  an  open  wire  line  run  through  Lironville  to  Limy.  Light  crossarms 
with  Repp  insulators  and  other  material  were  brought  up  from  Toul,  and  Mur- 
daugh  started  his  circuits  north  from  Domevre.  The  work  progressed  rapidly 
through  Manonville  to  Noviant  as  the  French  poles  were  still  almost  intact. 
But  after  the  first  kilometer  north  of  Noviant  all  poles  were  gone  and  new  ones 
had  to  be  cut  from  the  neighboring  forests  and  carried  to  the  road. 

The  advance  across  the' sector  was  so  rapid  that  on  the  first  day  Saizerais 
seemed  to  drop  into  the  S.  O.  S.  Prisoners  by  the  thousands  were  collected 
in  a  field  back  of  Corps  Headquarters.  The  machinery  for  handling  them  was 
swamped.  One  gang  of  five  hundred  came  down  the  road.  Four  M.  P.'s, 
two  mounted  and  two  on  foot  had  them  in  charge.  They  halted  for  a  rest 
just  as  dusk  was  gathering.  As  one  of  the  guards  dismounted  a  prisoner 
leaped  at  the  horse.  The  whole  crowd  instantly  came  to  life.  There  was 
no  excitement  among  the  M.  P.'s,  however.  A  couple  of  well  directed  shots, 
resulting  in  as  many  dead  Germans,  convinced  the  captives  that  their  life 
expectancy  was  infinitely  longer  as  prisoners  than  as  "bullet  dodgers" — especi- 
ally when  the  bullets  were  coming  from  American  pistols. 

On  the  second  day,  a  counter-offensive  was  started  by  the  enemy  against 
the  23rd  Infantry  of  the  Second  Division.  Artillery  support  was  needed 
badly  and  the  divisional  artillery  could  not  reach  the  oncoming  Boches. 
Corps  Headquarters  was  called  to  see  if  word  could  be  delivered  to  the  divisions 
to  the  right  or  left.  Corps  Headquarters  telephoned  to  the  82nd  Division  and 
to  the  5th,  but  neither  of  these  was  within  range.  There  was  only  one 
thing  left,  and  that  was  to  call  on  the  French  artillery.  But  the  line  was  in 
trouble.  Craigmile  and  Lester  who  were  at  the  switchboard  trying  to  make 
the  connection  for  General  Craig,  the  First  Corps  Chief  of  Staff,  were  at  their 
wits'  end.     However,  they  set  about  examining  the  circuits  and  fovind  a  break 


ST.    MIHIEL  20I 


between  the  French  board  and  its  connection  to  the  trunk  leading  to  the 
French  artillery  board  in  another  part  of  the  town.  They  cleared  the  trouble 
in  three  minutes  and  the  French  artillery  set  down  a  barrage  which  enabled 
the  23rd  Infantry  to  stop  the  attempted  German  action. 

According  to  the  plans  at  General  Headquarters,  the  American  Forces 
were  to  carry  on  two  offensives  during  September.  The  St.  Mihiel  attack  was 
to  begin  around  the  loth,  and  about  September  25th  an  American  force  was 
to  move  on  the  Argonne.  The  plans  provided  that  the  First  Army  Corps  was 
to  assist  in  opening  the  St.  Mihiel  drive,  but  on  the  fourth  day  was  to  with- 
draw and  move  to  the  west  to  take  part  in  the  Argonne  offensive. 

The  Corps  was  withdrawn  as  prearranged.  On  the  seventeenth  Lieutenant 
Hasskarl  with  his  "flying  squadron"  left  to  prepare  the  new  Headquarters 
with  telephone  facilities. 

Throughout  the  eighteenth  preparations  were  made  for  moving  all  of  the 
Corps  troops,  including  the  406th,  and  as  night  gathered,  a  convoy  consisting 
of  over  a  thousand  trucks  and  other  motor  vehicles  was  on  the  roads  headed 
for  the  new  center  of  action. 


Chapter  XXI 


The  Argonne 


|IGID  orders  had  been  issued  to  envelope  the  transfer  of  troops  from 
the  St.  Mihiel  region  in  the  greatest  secrecy.  No  vehicles  of  any  kind 
were  to  be  allowed  on  the  roads  before  one  hour  after  sunset  nor  after 
one  hour  before  sunrise.  During  hours  of  daylight  all  vehicles  were  to  be  off 
the  roads  and  concealed  under  trees.  No  camp  fires  were  permitted.  The  end 
of  the  column,  made  up  of  the  322d  Field  Battalion  and  the  406th  Telegraph 
Battalion  left  Saizerais  by  the  light  of  a  brilliant  moon  shortly  after  nine  o'clock. 
When  the  train  reached  the  main  road  leading  to  Toul  an  artillery  outfit,  the  large 
guns  drawn  by  caterpillar  tractors  creeping  slowly  along,  held  up  progress  and 
the  end  of  the  Corps'  column  did  not  pass  Toul  until  two  o'clock.  Daylight  was 
beginning  to  break  as  the  column  passed  through  Void,  but  as  rain  was  falling 
and  there  was  no  chance  for  Boche  observation,  orders  forbidding  daylight 
travel  were  withdrawn  and  the  movement  continued.  Frequently  French 
artillery  organizations  passing  along  the  road  separated  the  units.  But  the  day 
wore  on  with  the  weary  men  cramped  in  the  trucks  munching  their  sandwiches 
and  corned  beef,  and  alighting  to  stretch  whenever  the  column  was  stalled. 

By  evening  the  convoy  had  become  widely  scattered  and  the  406th 
proceeded  under  its  own  officers,  stopping  at  Ligny  for  mess.  Bar-le-Duc 
was  passed  in  total  darkness  and  Rumont  was  reached  at  midnight. 


THE    ARGONNE 


203 


The  route  now  led  along  the  splendidly  maintained  highways  which  had 
been  an  important  factor  in  the  defense  of  Verdun.  Daylight  dawned  on  the 
twentieth  with  the  406th  hopelessly  stuck  on  the  road  between  Fleury  and 
Rarecourt.  Each  side  of  the  road  was  jammed  with  French  artillery.  A  long 
supply  train  and  an  ambulance  train  were  trying  to  work  their  way  south  and 
the  Corps  troops  were  working  north.  A.  E.  F.  orders  made  the  senior  officer 
present  (in  this  case  Captain  Griest)  personally  responsible  for  the  immediate 
relief  of  any  block.  After  hours  of  incessant  labor,  the  trucks  were  maneu- 
vered through  the  narrow  lane  between  the  artillery.  Fortunately  rain  was 
falling.  Had  the  weather  been  clear,  enemy  bombs  would  have  played  havoc 
with  the  congested  trucks  and  troops. 

About  noon  Rarecourt  was  reached.  Lieutenant  Hasskarl  had  already 
established  the  Headquarters'  exchange.  Old  "Vic"  had  become  chtunmy 
with  the  Mayor  who  turned  over  his  house  and  barn  to  the  Signal  men  for 
billets  while  the  mess  and  shop  organization  were  quartered  in  nearby  sheds. 

Corps  Headquarters  occupied  the  Mairie.  The  French  operated  one  sec- 
tion of  switchboard  and  the  second  section  was  manned  by  Koser  and  Hale. 
In  short  order,  Dickson  with  Mumford  and  his  installers  had  two  fifty-line 
American  positions  in  service.  The  Battalion  originally  possessed  four  of 
these  sections  but  the  First  Army  commandeered  two  at  La  Ferte,  which 
when  activities  ceased  in  November  had  not  been  returned. 

Before  the  American  Telegraph  office  was  established,  the  French  Telegraph 
Office  at  Souilly  had  accumulated  a  hundred  messages  for  the  First  Corps 


Corps  Headquarters  at  Rarecourt 


204  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

which  Earlix  "took"  over  the  French  apparatus.  The  French  instruments 
print  the  dots  and  dashes  on  a  tape  from  which  the  operator  at  his  leisure 
writes  out  the  message.     But  that  method  did  not  suit  Earlix,  who  relates: 

"I  went  to  the  French  office  and  received  the  messages  over  their 
wire.  They  had  a  tape  machine  and  ticking  was  very  soft,  but  I 
could  receive  much  faster  and  more  accurately  by  ear  than  by  read- 
ing the  tape,  so  I  tore  the  tape  out  and  received  from  the  sound.  The 
French  operator  was  sending  to  me  in  their  'continental'  code^  and  the 
French  soldiers  running  the  French  telephone  and  telegraph  office 
were  acting  so  excitedly  over  my  not  paying  attention  to  the  tape 
that  they  nearly  had  a  fit.  After  receiving  twenty-five  messages  my 
hand  became  tired,  and  I  sent  the  orderly  to  our  office  for  the  type- 
writer. Putting  the  messages  down  on  the  typewriter  instead  of 
writing  by  hand,  capped  the  climax  for  the  Frenchmen.  A  few  days 
later,  I  invited  the  French  corporal  to  see  our  telegraph  office  and 
he  was  surprised  beyond  measure." 

The  American  telegraph  office  was  placed  in  a  small  building  in  the  school 
yard  nearby,  and  as  the  telegraph  business  increased,  Earlix  with  his  detail  were 
handling  over  sixteen  thousand  words  daily. 

Major  Wattles  from  the  Third  Corps  at  Rampont  visited  the  Battalion 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  arrival  and  found  a  sleepy  crowd  after  their  two 
nights  and  a  day  on  the  road.  But  more  work  was  ahead.  The  French  were 
planning  to  leave  the  sector  and  the  Corps  was  to  take  over  the  operation  of 
the  area  switchboards  and  lines  on  the  following  day.  Plans  were  made  for 
handling  twelve  exchanges. 

The  next  morning,  September  twenty -first,  details  took  up  their  new 
duties,  first  struggling  with  the  records  of  the  lines  which  entered  the  switch- 
boards. At  the  same  time  survey  details  started  over  the  region  to  gather 
data  about  the  location  of  lines  so  that  Captain  Gauss  might  keep  his  circuit 
map  up  to  date.  In  addition  to  the  one  at  Rarecourt,  the  principal  exchanges 
in  the  Corps  net  were  at  La  Vignette,  Clermont  and  Auzeville;  these  three, 
situated  along  the  main  route  from  St.  Menehould  to  Verdun,  were  the  bases 
of  the  77th,  28th  and  35th  Divisions  respectively,  which  were  to  open  the 
Argonne  attack.  Lieutenant  Guy  was  stationed  at  Clermont  to  supervise 
this  forward  lateral  axis.  Next  in  order  of  importance  was  the  old  French 
Army  Headquarters  at  Triaucourt  where  Gaghagen  with  a  small  group  oper- 
ated the  French  switchboard.  Scattered  between  Triaucourt  and  the  forward 
lateral  were  exchanges  at  Futeau,  Beaulieu,  Froidos,  Lavoye,  Grange  le  Comte, 
Autrecourt,  Brizeaux  and  Foucaucourt,  all  operated  by  the  406th. 

The  old  French  communication  net  to  the  rear  of  the  forward  lateral  was  in 
excellent  condition  and  quite  complete,  this  region  having  formed  the  left 
wing  of  the  defenses  of  Verdun  in  1916.  The  liaison  officer,  Lieutenant  de 
Lauriston,  became  particularly  helpful  to  the  Corps  Signal  Officer  in  this  area 


THE    ARGONNE 


205 


Outside  the  "P.  C."  (Post  of  Command)  at  Clermont 


because  he  had  personally  directed  much  of  the  construction  centering  around 
Clermont.  There  was,  however,  to  be  greater  concentration  of  troops  in  this 
area  than  ever  before.  To  provide  for  additional  demands  on  the  telephone 
service,  Miller  and  Gretzler  set  out  to  place  four  circuits  between  Rarecourt 
and  Clermont  as  the  latter  was  an  important  center  on  the  main  axis  of  advance 
mapped  out  for  the  First  Corps. 

The  Clermont  exchange  was  located  in  a  huge  dugout  on  the  side  of  a  hill 
from  which  could  be  seen  the  whole  valley  of  the  Aire  as  it  stretched  north- 
ward toward  Varennes.  From  an  observation  post  at  the  top  of  the  hill, 
which  was  reached  through  a  long  dark  tunnel  at  the  side  of  the  exchange, 
could  be  seen  the  German  positions  in  the  neighborhood  of  Vauquois  and  the 
eastern  edge  of  the  Argonne.  The  exchange  equipment  comprised  two  French 
switchboards.  Outside  of  the  exchange  was  a  high  tower  which  formed  a 
terminal  for  the  lines  connecting  to  the  exchange  and  also  the  test  point  for 
some  fifty  circuits  which  passed  this  point  but  did  not  enter  the  exchange. 
Long  had  a  real  job  classifying  these  lines.  The  French  details  had  been 
removed  from  this  and  all  other  exchanges  in  the  Corps  area  except  Rarecourt 
as  soon  as  the  Corps  troops  arrived.  All  of  the  sketches  and  records  were 
in  French  or  Italian  as  the  Italians  had  recently  vacated  the  Argonne  sector. 
However,  the  men  in  charge  of  the  exchanges  and  surveys  prepared  the  data 
and  Captain  Gauss  completed  an  up-to-the-minute  circuit  map. 

Just  when  Colonel  Voris  determined  to  start  a  new  open  wire  line  running 


2o6  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

north  from  Clermont,  the  Corps  commandeered  many  of  the  Battalion  trucks. 
Eighteen  were  dispatched  in  charge  of  Urffer  to  report  at  Bois  Lavoye.  Others 
were  sent  to  Souilly  to  haul  wire  from  the  army  signal  park  to  the  divisions. 
Urffer  and  his  detail  with  a  load  of  ammunition  started  from  Bois  Lavoye  on  a 
long  trip : 

"The  ammimition  details  were  of  the  hair-raising  variety,  for 
on  these  trips  the  75  mm.  shells  had  to  be  moved  up  to  the  'second 
position,'  meaning  the  one  that  the  guns  would  reach  following  the 
success  of  the  attack.  The  larger  ones  were  to  be  hauled  up  to  the 
former  location  of  the  75's,  this  being  the  future  position  of  the  155's 
and  the  240's. 

"As  nine  cars  was  the  limit  in  one  section,  our  train  was  cut  in 
two,  and  I  was  put  in  charge  of  the  first  which  consisted  of  heavy 
trucks.  Our  light  trucks  were  in  the  second  section  which  was  in 
charge  of  a  noncom  from  the  First  Corps  balloon  section. 

"The  roads  north  from  a  certain  village  were  supposed  to  lead 
me  to  the  155  positions  of  the  35th  Division.  Such  were  the  direc- 
tions given  by  some  officer  who  evidently  had  never  tried  to  find  . 
these  positions  himself  for  he  was  all  wrong.  When  I  reached  the 
zone  of  action,  no  officers  knew  of  any  155  positions.  However, 
big  guns  were  arriving  and  going  into  positions  along  a  field  about 
three  hundred  yards  north  of  the  main  road.  These  big  guns  were 
being  moved  by  tractors  which  dug  up  the  roads  to  such  an  extent 
that  motor  trucks  were  stuck  in  the  mud  and  movement  was 
held  up  for  long  periods.  To  make  matters  worse  and  causing  still 
more  confusion,  the  Germans  commenced  shelling  the  roads  and 
fields  throughout  the  entire  section.  Somehow  during  the  night 
while  I  was  walking  ahead  getting  information,  my  section  got  tangled 
up  and  when  I  got  back,  three  of  my  'D'  Company  men  with  their 
trucks  had  gone.  I  could  not  find  any  trace  of  the  missing  men. 
I  did  find  two  'E'  Company  men  during  the  search  and  I  promptly 
attached  their  two  truck  loads  to  my  train.  After  a  trying  effort 
which  lasted  about  seven  hours,  we  managed  to  locate  the  spot 
designated  as  the  155  positions,  35th  Division,  and  unloaded.  To 
negotiate  the  return  journey  we  hooked  the  five  trucks  together  as 
closely  as  possible  and  started  'home.'  All  but  three  men  of  the 
first  section  had  done  their  work  as  per  orders.  Those  men,  Wm. 
Dobbie,  Irving  Kreider  and  George  Erb,  were  thrown  out  of  the 
train  by  being  tangled  up  with  an  artillery  regiment  also  moving  up, 
and  by  the  time  they  had  extricated  themselves  from  the  horses  and 
guns  they  were  up  against  the  road  barriers  of  the  reserve  trenches 
and  could  plainly  hear  the  artillery  going  into  action.  Kreider  and 
Erb  managed  to  connect  up  with  the  second  section  and  came  home 
with  them,  while  to  Mr.  Wm.  Dobbie  goes  the  medal,  for  the  Scotch- 
man saw  a  155  in  action,  and  one  place  was  as  good  as  another  to 
him.  So  friend  Dobbie  carried  his  155's  right  to  the  men  who  shipped 
them  to  Fritz.  He  managed  to  do  this  and  still  beat  the  rest  of 
the  detail  back  to  our  station  by  six  hours." 


THE    ARGONNE 


207 


As  the  time  for  the  opening  of  the  attack  approached,  the  line  north  from 
Clermont,  planned  by  Colonel  Voris,  was  started  so  as  to  be  ready  when  the 
divisions  began  to  advance.  Construction  on  this  line,  which  became  familiar 
as  the  "high  line,"  continued  until  the  Armistice.  It  was  built  some  two  hun- 
dred meters  away  from  the  main  highway  to  safeguard  it  should  the  highway 
be  shelled.     And  there  seemed  every  chance  that  this  highway  might  receive 


"Shipping  Them  to  Fritz" 


attention  from  the  enemy,  as  shells  were  constantly  falling  around  Clermont. 
Poles  were  cut  along  the  edge  of  the  forest  and  carried  across  the  fields.  The 
men  were  kept  scattered  as  much  as  the  work  would  permit,  so  as  not  to  at- 
tract too  much  notice.  All  of  the  men  that  could  be  collected  were  used  on 
the  new  line  and  a  plea  was  sent  to  the  Army  that  it  take  over  the  exchanges 
in  the  rear  areas  to  release  the  men  for  work  on  the  forward  line.  But  these 
little  exchanges  were  not  on  the  American  Army  axis  of  advance  and  the  Army 
Signal  Officer  perf erred  lending  to  the  406th  a  company  from  the  401st 
Telegraph  Battalion  to  help  with  the  construction.  All  of  the  men  of  the 
322d  Battalion  who  were  not  otherwise  engaged  were  also  loaned  to  Lieutenant 
Price  and  the  line  grew  rapidly  past  Neuvilly  and  toward  the  front. 

When  on  the  afternoon  of  September  25th  a  field  order  was  issued  which 
set  the  following  day  for  an  attack,  some  of  the  small  offices  toward  the  rear 
were  abandoned  and  circuits  "cut  through"  to  relieve  as  many  maintenance 


2o8 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


men  as  possible  for  the  forward  areas.  The  exchanges  along  the  advance 
lateral  had  become  increasingly  active  as  the  divisions  moved  from  these 
bases  toward  their  positions  in  the  lines.  They  took  with  them  their  Signal 
men  and  left  the  406th  Battalion  to  carry  on  not  only  the  Corps  business  but 


The  Bridge  at  Boureuilles 


that  which  developed  from  the  administrative  work  of  the  divisions  as  well. 
At  Vignette  where  Murdaugh  was  located,  plans  were  made  to  move  the 
switchboard  in  case  the  Germans  should  begin  to  shell  the  town,  from  the  little 
frame  building  half  buried  in  the  side  of  the  hill  to  a  large  and  secure  dugout 
nearby.  As  a  further  indication  to  Murdaugh  at  Vignette  that  attack  was 
near,  mounted  couriers  arrived  and  he  was  instructed  to  establish  an  advance 
message  center  for  the  Corps,  using  the  mounted  men  to  carry  messages  should 
the  circuits  between  La  Vignette  and  Corps  Headquarters  be  shelled  out  of 
service.     Murdaugh  says: 

"This  as  good  as  told  us  that  the  band  was  going  to  play  that 
night.  Up  to  this  time  only  an  occasional  shell  came  rolling  in.  We 
were  thankful  that  in  the  advance  the  wires  held  to  the  rear  of  us  and 
that  the  mounted  runners  did  not  have  any  errands  back  to  Corps 
Headquarters." 

The  offensive  started  with  a  barrage  at  eleven-thirty  on  the  night  of  Septem- 
ber twenty-sixth  over  the  whole  front,  the  First  Corps  holding  the  left  sector. 
It  seemed  as  if  all  of  the  artillery  in  the  world  had  been  concentrated,  making 


THE   ARGONNE 


209 


the  sky  a  blaze  of  light  and  quaking  the  earth  with  the  terror  of  its  explosions. 

The  next  morning  the  reports  were  of  most  satisfactory  progress  and  the 
high  line  was  pushed  ahead,  while  Woodward,  Miller  and  Tritle  were 
sent  forward  to  make  surveys.  Now  that  the  advance  had  started,  the  divi- 
sions needed  more  wire  and  the  trucks  of  the  406th  were  dispatched  to  the 
Army  and  loaded  for  the  divisions  in  line.  Their  progress  was  hampered  by 
the  crowded  roads.  And  the  bridge  at  Boureuilles  had  been  destroyed  by  the 
Germans.  To  make  the  congestion  worse,  two  mines  had  been  exploded  near 
Boureuilles,  effectively  blocking  the  roads.  The  trucks  were  jammed  without 
turning  a  wheel  for  sixteen  hours  and  many  Americans  were  killed  and  wounded 
by  the  well  directed  shell  fare.  Although  shells  were  landing  all  around,  the 
six  drivers  of  the  406th  escaped  injury,  the  only  "casualty"  being  a  button 
which  was  shot  from  Kreider's  coat. 

It  could  not  be  determined  whether  the  attack  would  follow  north  along 
the  Argonne  Forest  or  northeast  through  Baulny,  but  Corps  Headquarters 
decided  to  establish  an  advance  P.  C.  at  Cotes  de  Forimont.     Lieutenant 


The  "High  Line" 


Price  was  recalled  from  his  work  on  the  high  line,  and  collecting  his  P.  C. 
gang  under  Cowan,  he  hurried  to  Forimont  which  had  just  been  vacated  by  the 
35th  Division,  and  installed  the  switchboards.  The  Chief  of  Staff  distinguished 
the  exchange  by  assigning  to  it  the  code  of  "Bonehead."  The  new  open  wire 
line  had  been  completed  to  Neuvilly,  at  which  point  circuits  were  connected 


LLQLND 

—  Main  Highways 
-^  Railroads 
~  The  Hiqh  Line 
Sc3.le 


5  10 

Kilometers 


THE    ARGONNE 
210 


THE   ARGONNE  211 


to  "Bonehead,"  this  work  being  completed  about  nine  in  the  evening  with  the 
rain  pouring  in  torrents. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  were  a  few  men  in  the  BattaHon  who  had  as 
yet  avoided  intimate  contact  with  cooties.  Tomlinson,  possibly  because  he 
had  been  a  cook,  was  one  of  these.  He  was  in  the  "Bonehead"  detachment, 
having  been  transferred  at  his  own  request  from  mess  duty.  That  the  new 
home  was  not  the  most  pleasant  place,  even  in  war  time  may  be  gathered  from 
his  remarks : 

"Some  twenty  of  us  were  sent  up  to  this  dugout,  which  was  one  of 
a  series  on  the  French  side  of  a  hill.  It  was  here  that  I  found  my  first 
cootie.  Great  excitement  stirred  the  men  and  a  general  cootie  hunt 
was  started.  Such  a  time  as  we  had  taking  baths  in  a  basin!  We 
stayed  at  'Bonehead'  for  about  five  weeks,  during  which  life  was  one 
mad  scramble,  first  away  from  cooties  and  then  after  something  to 
eat." 

While  everybody  was  working  at  top  notch,  another  call  came  to  the 
Battalion  to  appoint  men  for  the  Army  Candidates  School.  Dickson  and  Lutz 
were  the  men  sent  away.  The  hole  left  vacant  in  the  office  at  Rarecourt  was 
filled  by  taking  Gretzler  from  his  dugout  at  Grange  le  Comte,  and  Buehler 
was  made  top  sergeant  to  succeed  Lutz.  The  new  candidates  went  through 
the  school  with  flying  colors.  Lieutenant  Dickson  was  made  Assistant 
Signal  Officer  of  the  41st  Division  and  Lieutenant  Lutz  was  placed  in  the 
312th  Field  Signal  Battalion. 

Hasskarl  and  Guy  remained  in  charge  of  the  exchanges  at  Rarecourt  and 
Clermont  as  the  Signal  Officer  of  the  Corps  insisted  that  commissioned  officers 
remain  at  these  important  places.  Foust  took  over  the  construction  of  the 
high  line  and  pushed  it  on  toward  Boureuilles.  To  facilitate  the  work,  the 
men  were  moved  to  Varennes.  To  Meigs  had  been  assigned  the  supervision 
of  operation  and  maintenance. 

During  the  first  week  in  October  the  bulk  of  the  Battalion's  work  was  far 
north  of  Rarecourt  and  the  Battalion  Headquarters  were  moved  to  Locheres, 
a  small  village  on  the  edge  of  the  Argonne,  also  occupied  by  the  322d  Battalion 
and  a  dressing  station  of  the  28th  Division.  Locheres  had  been  occupied  by 
many  troops  and  it  was  full  of  rats.  Hardtack  had  a  wonderful  time  assisting 
the  men  in  hunting  the  rodents.  The  rats  seemed  to  be  particularly  fond  of 
Company  "E's"  clerk,  Grimm,  especially  at  night.  He  decided  to  find  the 
reason,  and  upon  investigation  he  discovered  that  Giles  had  been  storing 
cheese  beneath  the  straw  bed.  Needless  to  say,  thereafter,  Giles  did  not 
use  Grimm's  bed  for  a  larder.  The  shops  were  installed  in  a  large  bam  and 
the  mess  organization  in  another.  At  this  time.  Lieutenant  Schmidt  joined 
the  Battalion  and  was  appointed  Battalion  Adjutant  to  relieve  Sergeant-Major 
Magill  who  had  been  doing  double  duty  since  the  beginning  of  September. 


212 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


Lieutenant  Foust's  detachment  was  in  pup  tents  with  batteries  of  75's  both 
in  front  and  in  back  of  them.  These  guns  drew  the  fire  of  the  enemy  but 
despite  the  distractions,  the  second  week  in  October  saw  the  open  circuits 
completed  to  Varennes.  All  of  the  important  circuits  south  of  Varennes  were 
cut  over  to  the  high  line  and  communication  between  "Bonehead"  and  the 
divisions  was  very  satisfactory.  Foust  continued  the  line  to  Montblainville. 
From  that  point  north,  the  construction  was  turned  over  to  Lieutenant  Meigs. 


On  the  NeuvUly- Varennes  Road 


His  detachment  with  a  detail  from  the  322d  Battalion  salvaged  many  of  the 
poles  upon  which  the  Germans  had  strung  their  camouflage  screens  along  the 
roads  toward  Cheppy,  and  used  them  between  Montblainville  and  Exermont. 
From  the  latter  town  north  there  was  a  line  built  by  the  enemy  and  as  almost 
all  of  the  poles  were  in  good  condition,  they  were  utilized  to  reach  Apremont. 

At  some  points  it  was  necessary  to  work  directly  in  front  of  American 
Artillery.  The  shells  on  their  way  to  the  enemy  scarcely  cleared  the  heads 
of  the  construction  men.  At  such  places  it  was  worse  than  useless  to  erect 
poles,  for  they  would  have  been  knocked  down  in  short  order.  So  holes  were 
dug  and  poles  left  for  erection  as  soon  as  the  guns  changed  location. 

Each  morning  it  was  Captain  Griest's  duty  to  report  at  Colonel  Voris' 
office  in  Rarecourt  to  go  over  the  situation  and  read  the  reports  of  operations. 
On  October  tenth,  the  Colonel  informed  the  Captain  that  he  had  been  com- 
missioned a  Major.     The  new  Major  continued  to  command  the  Battalion 


THE   ARGONNE 


213 


during  the  remainder  of  the  war  and  until  it  was  prepared  for  return  to  the 
United  States. 

Meigs  carried  the  high  line  as  far  as  Apremont,  but  the  Boche  still  occupied 
the  forest  close  by  and  machine  gun  nests  infested  its  eastern  edge.  Small 
groups   went   forward   and   reached   Chatel   Chehery.     But   on   account   of 


1 — Varennes     2 — Chatel  Chehery     3 — Comay 


conditions  in  that  section  it  was  decided  that  the  high  line  had  been  carried 
as  far  as  was  then  necessary. 

During  this  lull  Lieutenant  Meigs  moved  his  detachments  into  a  dugout  in 
Varennes  so  they  would  be  closer  to  the  scene  of  operations  when  construction 
should  start  again.  He  also  desired  to  reserve  this  dugout  as  a  test  point  in 
case  the  Army  should  complete  a  forward  lateral  then  being  constructed. 
Although  the  troops  had  advanced  beyond  Chatel  Chehery,  the  roads  near 
Varennes  were  still  badly  congested  by  long  trains  of  supplies  going  north  and 
trains  of  wounded  moving  south. 

At  this  time  two  more  officers  were  lost  to  the  Battalion.  Foust  and  Guy 
were  returned  to  the  United  States  for  the  purpose  of  training  troops.  Dad 
Murdaugh  took  charge  of  the  office  at  Clermont,  and  Gretzler  continued  at 


214  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

Rarecourt.  The  duties  of  adjutant  again  fell  upon  the  shoulders  of  Magill 
as  Lieutenant  Schmidt  was  put  in  command  of  Company  "E." 

Work  on  the  high  line  was  restuned  when  the  28th  Division  drove  the  enemy 
back.  At  Apremont  the  line  joined  another  German  line  which  was  in  such 
good  condition  that  the  work  went  on  rapidly  until  Chatel  Chehery  was 
reached. 

The  enemy  made  a  strong  stand  around  Marcq  and  Grandpre,  but  at  the 
same  time  there  were  persistent  rumors  of  a  break  in  the  German  morale. 

It  was  decided  to  place  additional  circuits  on  the  line  between  Varennes 
and  Chatel  Chehery.  The  406th  started  at  the  north  end  assisted  by  a 
company  from  the  322d,  while  the  Army  Signal  Office  agreed  to  start  work  at 
the  south  end.  The  rain  was  falling  and  the  road  along  the  west  side  of  the 
Aire  valley  was  choked  with  the  heavy  traffic  of  supplies  for  the  fighting 
troops.  The  406th  finished  the  circuits  from  the  exchange  at  Chatel 
Chehery  to  the  point  where  the  high  line  met  the  main  road,  but  the  Army 
troops  were  caught  in  the  jam  and  failed  to  reach  the  job.  Lieutenant  Meigs 
with  his  trusty  detail  from  the  406th  continued  work  until  long  after  dark, 
and  starting  again  early  the  following  morning,  completed  the  circuits. 


Chapter  XXII 
^^Bonehead'' 


THE  lull  in  the  Argonne  attack  gave  the  construction  details  an  opportunity 
to  prepare  for  the  next  move.  But  the  operators  at  their  switchboards  in 
the  dugouts  were  busier  than  ever  as  plans  were  made  for  a  renewal  of  the 
advance.  Tact,  diplomacy,  judgment,  coolness,  and  a  ready  wit  were  necessary 
to  cope  successfully  with  the  many  situations  which  were  bound  to  arise  in  deal- 
ing with  the  "subscribers."  It  will  be  recalled  that  in  the  United  States  during 
the  war,  commercial  telephone  service  had  to  give  way  at  times  to  the  demands 
of  the  emergency  service  required  by  the  government.  And  the  girls  at  the 
switchboards  had  no  easy  time  satisfying  the  requests  for  service  which  in 
many  cases  seemed  urgent  to  the  user  of  the  service,  but  which  in  reality  were 
of  secondary  importance  when  compared  with  government  calls  which  had  a 
direct  bearing  on  the  war  situation. 

Consider  then  the  men  at  the  switchboards  near  the  front  lines,  who  were 
at  the  beck  and  call  of  officers  as  they  directed  the  progress  of  actual  battle. 
Every  officer  thought  his  calls  should  receive  immediate  attention.  This  was 
perfectly  natural.     Many  times  the  calls  were  for  help,  sometimes  for  more 


215 


2i6  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

men,  sometimes  for  ammunition.  Perhaps  there  was  need  for  an  artillery 
attack  to  repulse  the  on  coming  enemy;  or  it  may  have  been  important  informa- 
tion to  be  communicated  to  the  rear,  or  orders  to  be  transmitted  to  the  front. 
Consider  the  necessity  for  quick  communication,  and  couple  with  it  the  shell 
torn  wires  and  the  noise  and  confusion  from  explosions  of  bombs  and  the  firing 
of  guns  and  a  picture  of  the  life  in  a  front  line  exchange  may  be  visualized. 

There  were  regulations  which  stipulated  that  certain  officers  could  secure 
a  connection  to  a  desired  telephone  even  though  that  telephone  were  in  use. 
On  one  occasion  the  Chief  of  Staff  at  Rarecourt  called  for  a  certain  General. 
The  General  was  talking  but  the  Chief  of  Staff  had  the  right  of  way.  Koser 
who  was  at  the  board,  "cut  in"  on  the  General's  line: 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  but — " 

"I'm  using  this  line,"  was  the  response  in  such  a  tone  that  Koser  could  see 
visions  of  a  court  martial.  Just  then  the  Chief  of  Staff  came  back  and  his 
demands  were  put  in  such  language  that  Koser  could  see  visions  of  two  court 
martials.  What  to  do?  It  was  a  question.  Koser  decided  that  he  would 
prefer  the  General's  wrath  to  that  of  the  Chief  of  Staff.  So  he  cut  in  on  the 
busy  line  and  thimdered, 

"The  Chief  of  Staff  demands  immediate  preferred  connection  on  this  line!" 

It  had  the  desired  effect. 

Sometimes  there  were  humorous  incidents.  Gallo  was  operating  at  "Bone- 
head."  A  lieutenant  asked  for  a  connection.  When  the  connection  was 
established  Gallo  could  get  no  answer  from  the  lieutenant  who  had  placed 
the  call. 

"Hello!  hello!"  called  Gallo.     No  response. 

"Hello,  Bonehead!"  he  repeated  several  times. 

This  evidently  revived  the  lieutenant  for  he  came  back: 

"Who's  a  bonehead?     Young  man,  do  you  know  who  you  are  talking  to?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Well,  this  is  Lieutenant and  I  want  you  to  understand  that  I'm 

no  bonehead." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"What  is  your  name  and  organization?" 

"I  don't  know,  sir,"  from  Gallo,  which  was  in  accord  with  regulations. 

"You  don't  know?     I'm  going  to  report  you." 

Gallo  was  too  busy  to  continue  the  argiiment  so  he  switched  the  lieutenent 
to  a  French  operator  and  as  he  says : 

"There  was  some  real  fun  because  the  lieutenant  couldn't  speak  French 
and  the  operator  couldn't  understand  English,  so  I  left  him  to  cool  off." 

When  the  lieutenant  reported  the  matter  to  Colonel  Voris,  the  Signal 
Officer  first  had  a  good  laugh,  and  then  told  him  he  was  glad  there  were  such 
efficient  operators  with  the  First  Corps. 


aa 


S^cKJ^r 


MtOO 


>^^^''    ^r».y  Q^^,      ^^,4  A: 
/jr-  Oct-  /f/a 


SIGNAL     LINES     IN     THE     ARGONNE 
217 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


The  operating  crowd  at  "Bonehead"  had  a  dull  time  when  not  on  duty. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  on  the  deserted  hillside,  and  they  used  up  their  energy 
fighting  rats,  cooties,  and  fleas.     Hannam  was  one  of  the  operators: 

"The  headquarters  in  this  instance  were  in  old  French  dugouts 
penetrating  the  hill  possibly  loo  feet,  well  reinforced  with  tin  ceilings 
and  walls  to  keep  out  the  dampness.  Air  raids  and  shelling  were  a 
matter  of  indifference  to  us  here;  in  fact,  it  was  more  or  less  of  an 
amusement  to  stand  at  the  front  door  and  watch  old  Jerry  drop  them 
in  the  valley  back  of  us. 

"Well,  if  the  dugouts  were  intrenched,  so  were  the  rats.     They 


1 — General  Dickman.     2 — Colonel  Voris.     3 — General  Craig. 
IN    FRONT    OF    "BONEHEAD" 


used  to  do  squads  right  and  left  by  battalions  over  the  tin  ceiling 
continuously  and  as  soon  as  lights  were  out  or  it  quieted  down,  they'd 
come  out  and  run  over  our  faces,  chew  our  hair  and  eat  our  clothes, 
and  they  were  ably  assisted  by  fleas  and  cooties.  The  Germans  were 
fighting  every  inch  of  ground  above  us  here  in  the  Argonne  with 
their  machine  gun  nests. 

"We  existed  at  old  'Bonehead'  for  about  five  weeks.  Traffic  jams 
were  on  the  roads  for  days  at  a  time  and  for  mile  after  mile.  So 
supplies  were  more  or  less  scarce  and  we  lived  on  corned  beef  hash 
and  French  biscuits.  The  seats  of  our  trousers  were  worn  out  and  I 
had  a  hole  as  big  as  a  plate  burnt  in  the  back  of  my  coat,  but  we 


"  BON  EHEAB''  219 

didn't  care,  for  the  news  was  good,  and  on  this  job  we  always  had 
plenty  of  it." 

Peterson,   another  switchboard   operator,   wrote   the   following  while   at 
■Bonehead": 

"Tinae:     Sunday  afternoon — i  o'clock. 

"Place:     Cotes  de  Forimont. 

"Scene:     Our  little  homelike  dugout,  Bonehead. 

"The  hero  sits  on  the  lower  deck  of  a  pair  of  bunks  with  a  well- 
worn  bench  pulled  up  to  him.  Candle  and  writing  materials  on  the 
bench.  Clothes,  towels  and  accoutrements  hang  promiscuously 
about.  A  rat  is  playing  hide  and  seek  between  the  supports  and  the 
iron  ceiling.     The  hero  speaks  to  the  rat  in  a  light,  musing  manner: 

"  'Well,  old  timer,  here  we  are  all  by  ourselves.  The  boys  are 
out  pulling  wire  and  you  and  I  left  here  alone.  Oh,  I  see  that  snicker 
on  your  face;  you'd  be  a  lot  better  satisfied  if  I  went  out  too,  so  you 
could  come  down  and  look  through  my  stuff  and  see  if  I  brought 
in  anything  good  to  eat  lately.  It's  no  use,  boy,  I  ate  that  candy  just 
about  as  quick  as  I  got  it  yesterday  and  cried  for  more;  you'll  have 
to  double  time  if  you  want  to  beat  me  at  that.  You  little  bum !  You 
wait  till  a  fellow  puts  his  lights  out  before  you  come  out  in  the  open. 

"  'Say,  did  you  see  that  party  we  had  this  morning?  You  sure 
would  have  liked  that,  I'll  bet.  They  were  the  best  hot  cakes  I've 
eaten  since  I  left  old  U.  S.  A.  Yes,  we  had  to  thin  out  the  molasses  a 
good  bit  to  make  it  go  around,  but  she  went  good,  and  listen,  bo,  if 
we  don't  get  the  ambition  to  clean  up  that  batter  can,  you  can  have 
what's  left.  No,  the  molasses  is  all  gone,  but  you  better  be  glad  to 
get  the  batter.  Why?  Because  we're  going  to  light  out  of  these 
parts  before  long.  And  you're  going  to  starve  to  death  when  you 
don't  have  two  governments  to  pay  your  board  bill.  No,  there's  not 
going  to  be  any  more  soldiers  around  here  a-tall.  Didn't  you  hear  the 
news?  Why,  the  Boche  has  given  the  war  up  as  a  bad  job.  Found 
out  that  he  didn't  know  as  much  about  it  as  he  thought.  He's  trying 
to  duck  out  now,  get  out  from  under;  maybe  we'll  let  him  and  maybe 
we  won't,  but  any  way  you  take  it,  he  loses.  So,  old  timer  you'd 
better  prepare  for  a  hard  winter.  I've  been  sitting  around  here  all 
morning  doping  it  over.  Yes  sir,  it's  well  ove'r  a  year  since  I've  been 
home  and  sometimes  it  seems  like  ten.  So  this  morning  I  just  took 
a  little  ride  over  the  briny.  You've  never  seen  the  Statue  of  Liberty, 
old  boy,  and  you've  missed  a  lot.  She's  about  the  best  piece  of 
scenery  that  ever  a  man  looked  at.  But  after  I  passed  her  I  never 
looked  back.  I  had  my  eyes  on  the  dock,  where  we  landed.  I 
crossed  the  ferry  and  hopped  a  train  and  landed  in  Broad  Street 
Station  in  nothing  flat.  And  there's  another  sight  you've  missed, 
old  boy.  You  think  we  fellows  are  just  a  big  edition  of  yourselves  and 
that  we  don't  know  anything  else  but  holes  in  the  ground.  Well, 
you've  got  a  lot  to  learn.  If  you  could  just  see  Broad  and  Chestnut 
once,  those  little  beads  in  your  head  would  pop  out  like  splinters 
from  a  shell.     Well,  boy,  I  had  mighty  important  business  on  hand. 


220  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

but  I  just  stood  there  for  five  minutes  gazing  in  every  direction  and 
she  was  all  there,  not  a  single  shell  hole  in  the  street  and  not  a  splatter 
of  nicks  and  tears  in  a  building  nor  a  pane  of  glass  missing.  And  a 
million  pretty  girls  around — but  when  I  noticed  them  I  jumped  quick, 
for  my  business  came  back  to  me. 

"  'I  hopped  on  a  train  and  went  through  a  big  rat  hole  that  makes 
yours  look  as  small  as  a  flea  on  an  elephant,  crossed  the  river  and 
hopped  in  a  taxi,  for  those  trolley  cars  are  awful  slow.  I  watched  the 
old  landmarks  whiz  by,  sorta  surprised  that  they  were  still  stand- 
ing, and  looking  just  the  same  as  a  year  ago ;  in  fact,  I  began  to  wonder 
if  I'd  been  over  here  with  you  fellows,  in  the  biggest  war  in  history. 
It  began  to  fade  like  a  dream,  the  Court  House,  the  Armory,  City 
Hall,  little  ole  Harleigh,  Browning  Road,  Hill  Crest,  Crestmont — - 
Hey!  Hey!  there,  chaiiffeur,  whoa!  wait  a  minute,  turn  to  the  left — , 
look  out  for  No.  121.  Yes  sir,  old  rat,  there  she  stood  just  as  I  left 
her.  I  was  sorta  expectin'  to  see  her  a  different  color,  that  old  choco- 
late brown  pretty  well  faded  out,  and  I  heard  she  was  gonna  be 
painted  this  month,  but  she  looked  good,  for  that's  my  home,  old  rat. 
There  ain't  no  use  you  tryin'  to  imagine  it  and  shinin'  your  eyes  at 
me  that  way,  and  duckin'  around  the  corner  as  if  you  were  tired 
listenin',  'cause  I'm  gonna  spin  this  yam  to  the  end.  You've  never 
seen  anything  like  that  little  old  house,  and  never  will  as  long  as  you 
stay  in  this  country.  You  wanta  wise  up  and  come  to  America  after 
the  war. 

"  'Well,  old  rat,  I  forgot  the  chauffeur  and  that  little  old  taxi- 
meter, and  ran  up  those  steps  in  one  hop.  Rat,  you'll  never  have 
anybody  so  glad  to  see  you  as  they  were.  They  hadn't  finished 
breakfast  yet,  but  my  Peggy  was  there  anyhow.  I  can't  go  into  all 
the  details,  old  boy,  you  wouldn't  imderstand  them,  but  Mother, 
Dad,  Sis,  and  the  Girl  were  all  there,  and  they  were  just  cleaning  up  a 
bunch  of  hot  cakes.  Ha,  that  makes  your  eyes  shine,  don't  it?  And 
listen  here,  varmint,  they  weren't  the  kind  we  had,  made  of  flour  and 
water  with  watered  molasses  on  'em,  but  flour,  and  milk  with  some  sugar 
in  to  make  'em  brown  and  butter  on  'em  and  real  maple  syrup.  And 
they  were  on  china  dishes  and  the  dishes  were  on  a  white  cloth,  and 
the  sun  came  trickling  through  the  curtains  and  glinted  on  silver 
eating  tools.  Ha!  Ha!  You  poor  misguided  rat,  you're  going  back 
to  your  hole.  You  think  I'm  pulling  some  soldier  bull  on  you;  goes  to 
show  you  never  lived  any  place  but  in  a  dugout.  You  want  to  snap  out 
of  it  and  get  out  in  the  world  where  people  live,  and  see  something. 
You  don't  believe  either,  I  guess,  that  anybody  would  leave  a  feed 
like  that  just  to  look  at  me,  do  you?  Well  they  did.  They  forgot 
all  about  eating,  just  to  listen  to  stories  of  this  business  over  here, 
but  I  said  I'd  rather  tell  'em  about  it  with  a  mouth  full  of  those  hot 
cakes,  and  wet  my  whistle  with  some  of  the  best  coffee  in  the  world, 
au  lait,  too.  You  can  put  your  hat  on  now,  old  rat,  I'm  through. 
I  had  to  come  right  back  here  to  see  that  old  Bill  HohenzoUem  didn't 
pull  any  tricks  on  us  at  the  last  minute.  He  better  not.  He's 
getting  off  d easy  if  he  takes  what  he's  asking  for,  and  if  he 


BONEH  EAD" 


221 


tries  to  take  the  jump  on  us,  he'll  be  cutting  his  own  throat.  But 
remember  what  I  told  you,  you'd  better  be  looking  up  a  home  for 
yourself  where  your  grub  supply  will  be  more  permanent.  So  long, 
I'll  see  you  to-night.'     Curtain." 

It  was  during  this  lull  that  Chauffeurs  Gardiner  and  "Chubby"  Johnson 
got  into  trouble.  They  were  driving  some  of  the  officers  to  Locheres  when 
one  of  the  bearings  on  the  car  broke.  They  started  with  a  motorcycle  in 
search  of  another  bearing.  They  did  not  return  that  evening  and  the  next 
morning  Gardiner  telephoned  that  a  car  had  run  into  them,  knocking  the 


Building  Roads  in  the  Recaptured  Territory 

motorcycle  into  a  ditch  and  that  Johnson  and  he  were  in  a  hospital.  Lieuten- 
ant Macfarlan  went  to  see  the  patients.  He  located  Gardiner  who  had  been 
but  slightly  hurt,  but  nowhere  was  there  any  sign  of  "Chubby."  Search  was 
made  through  every  possible  channel  to  determine  Johnson's  whereabouts. 
Six  weeks  later  a  letter  was  received  from  him.  He  had  been  evacuated  through 
various  hospitals  and  had  just  recovered  sufficiently  to  write.  He  was  then 
at  Bordeaux  with  a  Signal  Corps  service  company.  He  had  received  a  cut  in 
his  leg  which  required  twenty  stitches,  and  his  knee  was  so  badly  twisted  that 
he  was  lame  for  months  after  he  was  discharged  from  the  hospital.  Gardiner 
quickly  recovered  but  soon  afterward  was  transferred  to  another  branch  of  the 
service. 

The  advance  was  still  held  around  Marcq  and  the  Army  rapidly  organized 
the  area  south  of  Varennes.     Railroads  were  built  along  the  valley  of  the  Aire, 


222  THE    FIRST    BATTALION 

requiring  constant  watchfulness  on  the  part  of  the  maintenance  detail  at 
"Bonehead"  so  that  telephone  lines  might  be  rerouted  or  raised  before  the 
railroad  trains  along  newly  built  lines  should  rip  down  the  circuits.  A  narrow 
gauge  line  was  built  through  the  Argonne  Forest  necessitating  train  dis- 
patching circuits  and  telephones. 

The  French  had  a  narrow  gauge  road  running  from  La  Vignette  through 
the  Forest  passing  Croix  de  Pierre  and  Maison  Forestier  to  a  point  a  mile 
south  of  the  old  Allied  front  line.  The  Boche  had  brought  a  narrow  gauge 
railroad  south  through  Champ  Mahaut  to  approximately  a  mile  north  of  the 
old  German  front  trenches.  The  Army  engineers  planned  to  build  the  con- 
necting link  for  this  railroad  across  what  a  few  days  before  had  been  No 
Man's  Land  and  thus  reach  Langon,  with  a  branch  to  Apremont,  and  ulti- 
mately to  Grandpre  which  was  still  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  There  were 
hundreds  of  tons  of  ammunition  which  had  been  delivered  to  positions  in  the 
middle  of  the  Argonne  Forest.  This  ammunition  was  needed  at  once  at  the 
new  advanced  gun  positions.  To  repair  the  roads  and  to  build  new  ones 
across  the  old  No  Man's  Land,  railroad  connection  to  the  quarry  at  Apremont 
was  essential. 

Preliminary  surveys  were  made  for  the  necessary  Signal  lines  and  the 
material  for  the  work  was  shipped  to  Varennes.  The  next  morning,  Lieutenant 
Meigs  started  sections  north  and  south  from  the  railway  yard  at  Champ 
Mahaut  and  Lieutenant  Hasskarl  with  a  detail  from  Company  "E"  started 
north  into  the  forest  from  the  vicinity  of  Locheres.  As  soon  as  the  circuits 
were  working  on  the  southern  portion  of  the  line,  Meigs  took  his  men  on  toward 
Langon. 

As  the  Engineers  succeeded  in  repairing  the  tracks  leading  south  from 
Champ  Mahaut,  a  hand  car  was  given  to  Donbaugh  to  aid  in  the  delivery  of 
materials  along  the  line.  An  "engineer"  was  needed  for  the  car.  A  private 
in  Donbaugh's  colored  detail  said  that  he  had  been  a  railroad  man  in  the 
States  and  he  was  put  in  charge  of  the  car.  For  two  days  everything  went 
well.  There  was  a  down  grade  on  the  line  where  the  tracks  were  in  bad  shape 
and  Sam  had  been  warned  to  keep  the  car  under  control.  Sam  however, 
knew  all  about  the  railroad  business. 

The  next  morning  Donbaugh  called  the  roll.  When  he  came  to  Sam's  name 
there  was  no  response.     He  called  it  again.     Still  no  response. 

"Where's  Sam?  Anybody  know  anything  about  him?"  yelled  out  Don- 
baugh. 

"Ah  tell  you.  Sergeant,"  one  of  the  darkies  spoke  up.  "You  know  Sam. 
Well,  Sam  he  went  down  de  hill  in  the  han'  cah.  Ah  guess  he  went  too  fas'. 
Cauz  dey  buried  him,  down  theah  at  de  bottom  o'  de  hill.  Ah  doan  'specs 
he'll  be  heah  dis  mohnin'." 

In  looking  over  the  road  and  determining  how  poles  might  be  cut  and 


BONEH  BAD 


'^3 


erected,  one  was  appalled  at  the  unbelievable  courage  and  determination  of 
the  American  troops  who  had  driven  the  Boches  out  of  the  strong  positions. 
The  shell  fire  from  the  heavy  guns  had  caved  in  the  dugouts  some  of  which 
were  twenty  feet  under  ground  and  built  of  concrete.  Across  the  waste,  the 
Engineers  pushed  their  tracks  and  the  406th  followed  with  the  dispatch  wires. 
The  dispatch  circuits  were  completed  to  Apremont  and  Langon  but  Grand- 
pre  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Germans.    On  October  twenty -fifth,  an  order 


Camouflaged  Road  in  the  Argonne 

was  published  calling  for  an  offensive.  The  Companies  of  the  406th  were 
collected  at  Varennes  and  Locheres,  preparatory  to  making  another  drive  with 
the  open  wire  lead — the  high  line.  Various  places  along  the  valley  were 
examined  in  an  effort  to  obtain  quarters  which  would  be  nearer  the  center  of 
operations,  Locheres  by  this  time  being  some  distance  from  the  active  work. 
But  the  divisions  were  still  massed  around  Chatel  Chehery  and  Apremont, 
with  their  rear  echelons  in  a  splendid  system  of  concrete  dugouts  which  the 
Germans  had  built  in  the  Forest  around  Champ  Mahaut  and  Varennes. 
Through  the  ravines  leading  into  the  valley  along  the  edge  of  the  Forest,  there 
were  many  dugouts  and  groups  of  cabins,  but  these  were  filled  with  traps  and 
poison  gas  and  it  was  unsafe  to  enter  them.  The  advance  Headquarters  of 
the  Corps  still  remained  at  "Bonehead"  with  the  rear  echelon  at  Rarecourt, 


224  THE    FIRST    BATTALION 

this  being  possible  largely  because  Colonel  Voris  had  provided  open  wire 
telephone  lines  as  far  as  Comay,  enabling  the  furnishing  of  dependable  tele- 
phone service  between  Corps  Headquarters  and  the  divisions  up  the  line. 

Lieutenant  Meigs  was  summoned  to  appear  before  Colonel  Voris  on  October 
twenty-sixth. 

"What  have  I  done  now?"  thought  Meigs.  It  was  not  in  fear  and  trembling 
that  he  entered  the  office.  But  he  realized  that  he  was  facing  a  superior 
officer.     And  he  would  have  to  swallow  any  medicine  that  was  handed  to  him. 

The  Colonel  sat  at  his  desk.  Meigs  saluted.  He  felt  that  something  was 
about  to  happen. 

The  Colonel  shoved  a  bundle  of  papers  into  his  hands. 

"What  does  that  mean?"  demanded  Colonel  Voris. 

"I  don't — "  began  the  Lieutenant. 

"Don't  talk  back  to  me.     I  want  an  explanation." 

"But  Colonel — "  again  began  Meigs. 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  not  to  talk  back  to  me?  You've  been  getting  us  into 
hot  water  by  helping  yourself  to  whatever  you  wanted.  Now  you've  got  us 
into  a  fine  mess." 

Meigs  stood  on  one  foot  and  then  on  the  other.  He  nervously  looked  at 
the  papers  in  his  hands,  trying  to  make  head  or  tail  of  the  matter.  All  he 
could  see  was  a  bundle  of  old  requisitions  for  supplies.  "You're  in  the  army 
now"  was  the  only  thought  that  came  to  his  mind. 

"Yes,  sir,"  he  said  and  saluted. 

"Just  one  thing  I  want  to  say  to  you." 

"Yes,  sir,"  as  he  saluted  again. 

"Just  read  that,"  the  Colonel  handed  him  a  telegram,  "and  tell  me  how 
we  are  going  to  get  out  of  such  a  pickle." 

Meigs  took  the  slip  of  paper.  He  read  it.  He  rubbed  his  eyes.  Then  he 
glanced  out  of  a  comer  of  his  eye.     He  saw  a  twinkle  in  the  Colonel's  eye. 

"Haw!  Haw!  Haw!"  as  only  Meigs  can  laugh. 

"Haw!  Haw!  Haw!"  echoed  the  Colonel. 

The  telegram  read:  "Notify  ist  Lt.  Fielding  P.  Meigs,  406th  Telegraph 
Battalion,  he  is  promoted  to  Captain  Signal  Corps  and  have  him  forward  ac- 
ceptance of  Commission  and  oath  of  office  immediately." 

The  Germans  were  entrenched  in  formidable  positions  between  St.  Juvin 
and  Grandpre.  The  American  troops  massed  for  the  attack.  Two  telephone 
circuits  between  the  Corps  and  the  Headquarters  of  each  division  were  essen- 
tial. As  new  organizations  moved  into  the  vicinity  of  Comay  and  Fleville, 
the  circuits  were  run  up  the  valley.  With  the  help  of  the  322d  Battalion, 
eight  circuits  of  twist  supported  by  stakes  recovered  from  the  German 
stores  at  the  Crown  Prince  dump  in  the  Forest  were  quickly  strung  across  the 
low  lands  between  Varennes  and  Chatel  Cheherry. 


"  BONEH  EAD'' 


225 


Schmidt  and  McKay,  the  latter  a  new  master  signal  electrician,  set  out 
with  Major  Griest  to  make  observations  on  extending  the  high  line.  It 
seemed  likely  that  the  next  advance  would  continue  through  St.  Juvin,  and 
on  the  hill  south  of  Marcq  there  was  an  observatory  from  which  with  the  aid  of 
field  glasses,  Boche  telephone  lines  could  be  traced.  Maps  captured  by  the 
divisional  signal  officers  showed  clearly  the  organization  of  the  Boche  territory, 
not  only  the  telephone  and  telegraph  lines,  but  also  the  supply  depots  and 
centers  of  industry.  With  the  aid  of  these  maps,  the  field  glasses  served  to 
indicate  what  the  Signal  Corps  could  count  upon  in  pushing  the  lines  ahead. 
Near  the  top  of  the  hill,  American  artillery  had  established  a  "flash  ranging" 
station  equipped  with  a  telescope.  From  this  telescope  the  artillery  men  were 
spotting  the  positions  of  the  Boche  guns  by  watching  the  flashes,  and  they 
permitted  the  Signal  men  to  use  the  telescope  for  checking  the  course  of  Boche 
telephone  lines. 

A  large  connecting  tower  was  observed  in  a  cemetery  to  the  north  of  St. 
Juvin  which  seemed  an  ideal  objective  for  the  high  line.  Materials  were 
hauled  as  secretly  as  possible  into  Marcq  to  be  ready  as  soon  as  the  advancing 
troops  cleared  the  way.  In  the  meantime,  the  north  end  of  the  circuits  were 
overhauled  to  the  crest  of  the  hill  and  many  self-appointed  "free  subscribers" 
were  cut  loose.  The  balloon  and  artillery  organizations  carried  with  them 
men  experienced  in  telephone  wiring  who  had  connected  telephones  to  the 
circuits,  thereby  securing  service. 


Si*-. 

Ruins  of  Grandpre 


226  THE    FIRST    BATTALION 

As  preparations  were  being  made  for  fast  work  when  construction  started, 
another  call  came  for  appointees  to  the  Candidates  School.  Murdaugh  and 
Collins  were  dispatched  to  Langres  and  obtained  their  commissions  the  follow- 
ing February.     The  Battalion  thereby  lost  two  more  valuable  men. 

At  the  end  of  October  the  Battalion  trucks  were  commandeered  to  go  all 
the  way  back  to  Army  Headquarters  for  signal  supplies  for  the  divisions 
which  were  assembling  for  the  drive.  The  organization  scheme  prepared  by 
the  Chief  Signal  Officer  provided  that  supplies  be  delivered  by  the  Army  as 
far  as  Corps  Headquarters  and  from  there  to  divisions  by  the  Corps  troops. 
This  organization  was  not  perfected,  and  the  406th  throughout  this  operation 
hauled  wire  all  the  way  from  the  Army  to  the  divisions  and  in  addition  fre- 
quently hauled  ammunition  to  the  artillery  positions. 

After  the  Marne  advance,  Colonel  Voris  with  Majors  Hubbell  and  Behn, 
prepared  a  report  of  the  Signal  Corps  activities,  recommending  that  the 
responsibilities  of  Signal  Corps  troops  be  shouldered  by  fewer  men  than  were 
comprised  in  the  field  and  telegraph  battalions.  After  the  St.  Mihiel  offensive, 
Colonel  Voris  reported  to  General  Headquarters  that  he  would  be  willing  to 
try  running  his  Corps  with  the  Field  Battalion  alone.  Late  in  October  there 
was  a  rumor  that  the  406th  would  be  relieved  and  transferred  from  the 
First  Corps  to  the  Third  Army  which  was  then  being  formed.  Immediately, 
details  from  the  322d  Battalion  were  attached  to  each  of  the  exchanges  run 
by  the  406th,  to  observe  methods  of  switchboard  operation.  But  while  this 
arrangement  for  training  was  being  completed,  the  new  offensive  started 
and  the  Field  Battalion  details  were  withdrawn  to  work  around  division 
headquarters. 

On  October  thirtieth,  Captain  Meigs  and  Lieutenant  Schmidt  organized 
their  forces  for  continuing  the  line  north  of  Marcq  early  the  next  morning. 
As  the  section  in  which  they  were  to  work  would  be  under  enemy  observation, 
these  officers  were  instructed  to  keep  their  men  in  small  detachments. 

The  officers  were  to  patrol  the  section  constantly.  There  was  a  heavy  fog 
as  the  work  started  and  good  progress  was  made  in  clearing  the  old  Boche 
poles  of  scrap  wire  and  in  pushing  the  new  copper  wires  while  the  visibility 
was  low.  Later  the  sun  came  out,  and  driving  the  mist  away,  disclosed  to  the 
Boche  observers  the  glistening  copper.  A  scattering  machine  gun  fire  was 
turned  on  the  wires.  Then  the  shells  began  to  arrive  from  the  German  bat- 
teries and  the  men  in  the  artillery  observation  posts  on  the  hill  objected  to 
allowing  the  work  to  continue  as  it  was  drawing  fire  on  the  artillery  positions. 
Captain  Meigs  told  them  that  his  orders  were  to  stick  until  driven  to  cover  by 
enemy  fire.  But  the  shells  soon  began  to  fall  so  close  to  the  line  that  work 
was  impossible.  One  shell  sent  a  fragment  through  a  wire  which  Riley  was 
tying  to  the  pole.  The  fragment  had  bounced  off  the  pole  on  which  he  was 
working,  but  "Pat"  stuck  to  his  job  imtil  he  had  finished. 


''  BONEH EAD" 


ii'j 


Later  in  the  day  work 
was  resumed.  Lieuten- 
ant Schmidt's  men  were 
working  from  the  foot  of 
the  hill.  Captain  Meigs' 
crowd  were  nearer  the  top . 
When  the  American  bat- 
teries on  the  south  slope 
opened  fire,  the  shells  on 
their  way  to  the  Boche 
scarcely  cleared  the  tops 
of  the  poles.  The  whine 
as  they  flew  past  was  con- 
tinuous, and  the  breeze 
could  be  distinctly  felt. 
This  seemed  a  little  too 
close  for  comfort,  but 
Forwood,  Haislop  and 
Spangler  completed  the 
job,  climbing  the  poles 
until  they  could  just 
reach  the  wires  and  fasten  , 
them    with     their    arms 

stretched  high  above  their  heads.  The  next  day  to  take  advantage  of  the 
fog,  another  early  start  was  made.  But  the  artillery  commander  had  sta- 
tioned four  of  his  captains  along  this  section  of  the  line  with  instructions 
that  no  Signal  men  should  be  allowed  on  the  north  slope  of  the  hill.  Cap- 
tain Meigs  visited  the  commander  in  his  dugout  and  put  up  such  a  strenuous 
plea  that  he  was  allowed  to  continue  the  work  until  the  fog  lifted. 

When  the  attack  started,  and  the  Germans  were  driven  back,  the 
Corps  decided  to  move  its  advance  P.  C.  to  Chehery.  The  Chateau  had 
been  occupied  by  the  8oth  Division  which  was  moving  to  Fleville — coded 
"Fleabite"  by  that  old  friend  of  the  406th,  Major  Kelly,  who  had  been  made 
Lieutenant  Colonel  and  was  the  Signal  Officer  of  the  Division.  Lieutenant 
Hasskarl  arrived  at  Chehery  in  the  afternoon  to  put  up  the  switchboards  and 
install  the  wiring.  The  80th  Division  switchboard  had  been  located  in  a  well 
reinforced  comer  of  the  basement.  But  since  the  enemy  was  being  pushed 
toward  the  north,  it  was  decided  to  place  the  Corps  switchboard  and  telegraph 
offices  in  more  comfortable  quarters  on  the  first  floor.  The  wiring  was  com- 
pleted that  night  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  General  Dickman,  Commander 
of  the  First  Army  Corps,  who  had  succeeded  General  Liggett.  The  latter  was 
now  in  command  of  the  ist  Army. 


Lieutenant  Colonel  Kelly 


Chapter  XXIII 


(•(• 


Katnerad! 


'OW  that  the  Corps  had  moved  its  advance  P.  C.  to  Chatel  Chehery, 
the  Battalion  sought  quarters  in  the  neighborhood.  Captain  Meigs 
had  reserved  a  few  dugouts  near  the  town  where  the  construction 
sections  from  both  Companies  were  temporarily  quartered.  But  Battalion 
headquarters,  Company  offices,  shops,  mess  and  supply  detachments  re- 
mained at  Locheres,  twenty  kilometers  to  the  rear.  No  transportation  was 
available  to  move  them  forward,  for  nearly  all  of  the  Battalion  trucks  were 
engaged  in  hauling  wire  to  the  divisions.  There  was  also  a  detail  maintain- 
ing the  office  at  Rarecourt,  fifteen  kilometers  further-  to  the  south. 

On  the  morning  of  November  2nd  when  the  attack  was  renewed  Colonel 
Voris  with  Colonel  Behn  decided  personally  to  investigate  the  signal  facilities 
at  St.  Juvin.  They  estimated  that  the  infantry  would  complete  the  occupa- 
tion of  Champigneulles  in  about  two  hours.  The  Signal  officers  were  surprised 
to  find  very  few  soldiers  around  St.  Juvin  and  almost  no  sign  of  life  in  the  valley 
between  this  town  and  Champigneulles.  Later  they  learned  that  the  infantry 
had  fallen  behind  schedule,  and  when  they  were  wandering  around  the  hill 
below  St.  Juvin  this  slope  was  in  advance  of  the  American  troops. 

Another  man  who  prowled  around  St.  Juvin  somewhat  prematurely  was 
Giles.    He  had  been  detailed,  by  request  of  the  sergeant  in  charge  of  the  Corps 


228 


KJMERAD!"  229 


pigeons,  to  assist  in  delivering  birds  to  the  divisions.  Giles  mounted  his 
motorcycle  and  started  with  the  sergeant  and  a  load  of  pigeons  to  St.  Juvin. 
The  road  was  under  heavy  bombardment,  American  and  German  dead  lying 
everywhere.  Ambulances  were  not  allowed  on  the  road,  but  because  Giles 
displayed  the  Signal  Corps  flags  on  his  motorcycle  and  was  carrying  pigeons, 
the  guards  permitted  him  to  pass.  Just  beyond  St.  Juvin,  machine  guns  were 
sweeping  the  road.  It  was  impossible  to  proceed  farther.  He  turned  back 
into  the  town  and  there  found  the  officer  to  whom  the  birds  were  consigned. 
After  hours  of  driving  along  roads  torn  with  shells,  and  under  constant  fire  he 
made  his  way  back  to  the  Battalion. 

Grandpre  was  bitterly  contested  by  the  Germans,  who  made  a  desperate 
stand  on  the  high  ground  at  the  north  edge  of  the  town.  They  were  kept  so 
busy  that  they  paid  little  attention  to  the  signal  line,  and  both  Companies  of 
the  406th  rushed  the  construction  in  the  direction  of  St.  Juvin. 

The  hunt  for  quarters  nearer  the  front  eventually  brought  results.  Colonel 
Voris  suggested  that  the  406th  take  possession  of  a  building  which  had  been  a 
German  soda  water  factory.  The  large  stable  of  this  place  was  floored  with 
concrete  and  the  roof  seemed  to  be  in  good  condition.  Headquarters  was 
established  here,  and  the  day  was  spent  in  persuading  an  engineer  outfit  to 
remove  their  horses  and  mules  which,  being  too  feeble  to  go  up  the  line,  were 
quartered  in  the  building.  During  this  and  other  advances  many  draft 
animals,  when  they  had  become  entirely  exhausted  from  dragging  the  heavy 
vehicles  over  the  almost  impassable  roads,  were  abandoned  to  die  along  the 
roadside.  At  times  the  faithful  animals  recovered  and  wandered  aimlessly 
over  the  country.  One  of  them  made  his  home  with  the  Battalion  at  Locheres, 
and  was  considered  the  particular  property  of  Shinfessel.  When  the  transfer 
to  St.  Juvin  was  ordered  Shinfessel  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do  with  his 
good  old  friend.  By  a  stroke  of  salesmanship  he  disposed  of  the  animal  to 
"Red"  Sebring.  The  latter  then  had  an  elephant  on  his  hands  until  Captain 
Meigs  came  along  and  offered  two  francs  for  it.  Sebring  accepted  "tout  sweet." 
Just  as  this  transaction  was  completed  the  outfit  to  which  the  horse  originally 
belonged  returned  through  Locheres  and  took  it  away  from  Meigs.  Shinfessel 
and  Sebring  kept  out  of  the  Captain's  sight. 

The  Field  Battalion  installed  a  switchboard  amidst  the  wreckage  of  St. 
Juvin,  and  Meigs  and  Schmidt  continued  their  efforts  with  the  construction 
sections  until  they  had  connected  the  high  line  through  to  this  exchange.  As 
soon  as  the  circuits  were  completed,  many  of  them  acted  queerly.  This  was 
found  to  be  due  to  wires  attached  to  the  lines  by  troops  between  Comay  and 
Marcq.  Throughout  the  afternoon  and  evening  and  again  the  following  day, 
the  lines  were  patrolled  and  the  telephones  disconnected. 

This  long  line  which  had  been  started  at  Clermont  just  before  the  opening 
of  the  Argonne  offensive  ran  through  to  St.  Juvin,  using  Boche  materials  for  a 


230  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

large  part  of  the  way, 
including  poles  salvaged 
from  the  enemy  camou- 
flage system.  At  first 
when  the  Germans  re- 
treated through  the 
Argonne  they  cut  down 
their  wires  and  poles  to 
prevent  the  Allies  from 
using  them.  Toward  the 
end  however,  as  one  of 
the  men  put  it,  "the  only 
thing  they  seemed  to  be 
A  Dugout  in  the  Argonne  interested  in  Cutting  down 

was  the  record  for  the  hundred  yard  dash."  Months  later  a  battalion  com- 
manded by  Winston,  formerly  of  the  406th,  salvaged  the  high  line. 

By  November  fourth,  the  German  retreat  had  turned  into  a  rout  and  the 
American  infantry  was  being  carried  forward  in  trucks  in  an  attempt  to  main- 
tain contact  with  the  fleeing  Boches.  Most  of  the  circuits  had  been  cut  through 
the  exchange  at  Cotes  de  Forimont,  and  Price  with  his  P.  C.  gang  hurried  on 
to  St.  Juvin  to  await  orders.  Hardly  had  he  become  settled  in  the  soda  water 
factory,  expecting  a  brief  rest  after  the  long  wade  through  the  slow  moving 
caravans,  when  information  was  received  that  Corps  Headquarters  was  to 
be  moved  to  Harricourt.  Arrangements  were  at  once  made  to  turn  over  to  the 
Army  all  of  the  Signal  responsibilities  in  the  area  south  of  St.  Juvin  and  plans 
were  made  to  extend  the  high  line  north  of  that  town. 

Lieutenant  Pearson  was  still  at  Locheres  awaiting  transportation  for  the 
Battalion  affairs.  When  the  trucks  arrived,  although  they  had  been  con- 
tinuously on  the  road  for  two  days,  they  were  at  once  loaded  and  with  Major 
Griest  in  command  started  north.  Splendid  time  was  made  on  the  first  part 
of  the  journey  as  the  main  road  east  of  the  river  was  almost  free  from  traffic. 
A  brief  halt  was  made  at  St.  Juvin  and  instructions  were  left  with  Magill  to 
move  on  to  Harricourt  early  in  the  morning  and  to  leave  only  enough  men 
at  St.  Juvin  to  care  for  testing  on  the  high  line. 

Lieutenant  Price's  outfit  had  arrived  at  Harricourt  early  in  the  evening 
and  was  shown  to  a  system  of  warehouses  surrounding  an  old  German  rail- 
head where  Corps  Headquarters  was  to  be  established.  It  was  too  dark  to 
do  any  work  that  evening  and  unsafe  to  have  fires  or  lights  so  the  section 
immediately  turned  in  for  a  rest.    Hannam  describes  the  situation: 

"I  did  not  like  the  looks  of  the  place;  it  appeared  to  me  as  if  it 
might  be  popular  with  the  bombing  squadrons,  and  the  shacks  were 


KAMERAB! 


231 


not  very  substantial.  Boche  planes  came  over  about  an  hour  later  by 
the  dozens.  Frankly,  I  was  never  so  scared  before  and  would  sooner 
go  through  an  artillery  barrage  any  day  than  to  have  those  birds  buz- 
zing over  my  head,  dropping  their  toys  apparently  everywhere." 

The  main  truck  train  which  was  speeding  along  the  road  from  St.  Juvin 
turned  north  above  Grandpre  and  soon  ran  into  trouble.  Near  the  crossroad 
leading  toward  Beffu  there  was  a  solid  jam,  but  thinking  that  this  might  be 
cleared  before  long,  every  one  curled  up  for  a  nap.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing the  road  was  still  blocked,  and  leaving  the  train,  Major  Griest  started 
ahead  to  investigate.  Just  south  of  the  crossroad  two  five-ton  trucks  had 
slid  into  the  ditches  on  either  side  of  the  road  and  were  most  thoroughly  stuck. 
Another  truck  in  attempting  to  pass  between  the  two  became  tightly  wedged. 
There  were  high  banks  on  either  side  of  the  road  and  it  was  impossible  for 
traffic  to  pass.  For  a  mile  in  each  direction  there  was  a  solid  line  of  vehicles. 
It  seemed  unlikely  that  the  congestion  would  be  relieved  before  daylight. 
The  Major  hiked  back  through  the  mud  to  the  waiting  trucks  to  devise  a  plan 
for  reaching  Harricourt  by  another  route. 

Very  few  vehicles  had  come  along  behind  the  Battalion  trucks.  It  was 
possible  therefore  to  back  down  the  hill.  This  was  done  and  just  as  the  rising 
sun  was  casting  a  beautiful  glow  over  the  landscape,  the  Battalion  pulled  into 
Champigneulle.  The  road  through  Verpel  had  been  jammed  for  three  or  four 
days  and  there  was  no  other  road  for  northbound  traffic,  the  one  leading 
toward  Beffu  being  reserved  for  southbound  traffic.  Nothing  could  be  done 
to  hurry  the  movement  and  the  trucks  reached  Harricovu-t  two  days  later. 
The  Battalion  had  received  its  fill  of  excitement  while  the  blocked  road  was 
subjected  to  bombing  and  machine  gun  fire  from  Boche  airplanes. 

The  Corps  Billeting  Officer  had  furnished  Lieutenant  Price  with  a  layout,  but 
this  had  to  be  changed  considerably  to  accord  with  Colonel  Voris'  instructions. 
All  hands  immediately  set  to  work,  and  temporary  circuits  were  in  service  by 
the  time  the  Corps  officers  arrived,  although  the  Field  Battalion  had  not  been 
able  to  complete  the  circuits  from  St.  Juvin.  Harricourt  was  still  occupied  by 
divisional  and  artillery  troops  and  Corps  Headquarters  was  established  in  the 
warehouses  and  dispatch  stations  of  the  Boche  railway  terminal.    In  the  yard 


German  Heavy  Construction  in  the  Argonne 


232 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


Views  of  Harricourt 


practically  all  of  the  rail  joints  had  been  blown  up  by  the  Germans  or  were 
still  mined  where  the  fuses  had  failed  to  operate.  In  the  warehouses  there  re- 
mained great  quantities  of  Boche  large  calibre  shells  and  myriads  of  fleas. 

The  divisions  were  now  at  Authe,  Arutruche  and  St.  Pierremont,  and  as 
fast  as  details  from  Signal  battalions  reached  Harricourt,  they  were  set  to  work 
piecing  out  the  Boche  wire  circuits  which  ran  to  these  towns.  Colonel  Kelly 
volunteered  to  provide  communication  between  the  Corps  and  the  8oth 
Division  at  Sommauthe.  In  this  territory  the  towns  were  unharmed  and  on  the 
church  steeples  the  Boche  had  displayed  white  flags  to  prevent  further  shelling. 
In  some  of  the  towns  the  whole  civil  population  was  still  established.  Every- 
where there  were  signs  of  the  precipitate  retreat  of  the  Germans — guns,  wagons 
and  equipment  of  all  sorts  abandoned  in  the  fields  and  along  the  roadsides. 
The  enemy  continued  the  rapid  retreat  and  was  nearing  Sedan  and  the  air  was 
rife  with  rumors  of  armistice  negotiations.  Corps  Headquarters  was  in  a  great 
state  of  excitement. 

Colonel  Voris  directed  that  the  Corps  axis  be  continued  through  St. 
Pierremont  and  Stonne  to  Raucourt,  a  short  distance  south  of  Sedan,    This 


''KAMERAD!" 


'-33 


St.  Pierremont 


task  seemed  more  nearly  impossible  than  any  which  had  been  assigned  to  the 
Signal  men.  Some  of  the  men  were  still  scattered  along  the  roads  south  of 
Harricourt,  and  many  of  the  trucks  were  attempting  to  complete  wire  deliveries 
from  the  Army  to  divisions.  It  began  to  rain  and  this  hindered  the  collection 
of  men.  On  the  morning  of  the  sixth,  however,  more  sections  had  arrived  at 
Harricourt,  and  Company  "E"  proceeded  to  St.  Pierremont  to  repair  the  open 
wire  circuits  leading  back  to  Corps  Headquarters.  To  help  with  this  work, 
Coates  and  Twohig  started  north  from  Harricourt.  Carrying  tools  and 
material  along  the  crowded  road  was  a  slow  and  tedious  process.  There  was 
no  possible  chance  of  completing  the  open  circuits  before  night  because  of  the 
many  sections  between  Fontenoy  and  St.  Pierremont  which  had  been  entirely 
shot  away.  Lieutenant  Schmidt  therefore  pieced  these  circuits  out  with  twist. 
Throughout  that  rainy  night  with  a  few  scattered  shells  hurrying  their  prog- 
ress, the  men  of  the  two  Companies  plugged  along  with  the  work.  Coates, 
after  finishing  the  lower  section,  made  his  way  to  St.  Pierremont  to  help 
Schmidt.  By  two  in  the  morning  the  connections  were  completed  and  the 
tired  and  dripping  men  returned  to  Harricourt.  No  lights  were  allowed  to  aid 
in  locating  packs  and  blankets  and  the  workers  flopped  on  the  piles  of  shells 
or  on  the  floor  to  secure  what  rest  they  could.  The  next  morning  Lieutenant 
Schmidt  was  discovered  sleeping  in  a  mud  puddle  under  one  of  the  trucks, 
with  Hackett  on  the  seat  above.     Coates  gives  a  picture  of  that  night's  work: 


234 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


"About  a  mile  from  St.  Pierremont  we  became  stuck  in  the  jam 
in  the  traffic  and  it  was  after  twelve  o'clock  when  we  arrived  at  St. 
Pierremont.  We  went  up  the  road  and  found  a  ration  truck  and 
cribbed  several  loaves  of  bread  and  cans  of  beans  and  heated  them  on 
the  motor  of  the  truck.  We  had  to  take  the  circuit  back  to  Fontenoy 
and  the  only  way  to  get  there  was  to  walk.  We  left  Sergeant  Vick 
and  the  chauffeur  to  take  care  of  the  truck  and  the  rest  of  us  pulled 
the  reels  up  hill  and  down  and  the  Lieutenant  who  was  leading  didn't 
know  when  to  rest.  We  passed  truck  load  after  truck  load  of  refugees 
who  spoke  a  language  all  their  own.  I  believe  it  was  Flemish.  They 
came  from  Sedan  and  had  been  captives  for  about  four  years." 

The  returns  from  the  front  indicated  that  four  open-wire  circuits  would 
be  needed  to  St.  Pierremont  immediately.  The  weary  Schmidt  was  roused 
from  his  puddle  and  once  more  he  collected  his  tired  crew  and  headed  north 
by  way  of  Sommauthe.  To  insure  the  completion  of  these  circuits  before 
dark,  the  Major  collected  all  of  the  men  of  "D"  Company  who  had  then 
arrived  at  Harricourt,  to  tackle  the  lower  end  of  the  new  circuit,  leaving  Meigs 
who  had  just  come  in  from  St.  Juvin,  to  organize  the  camp. 

The  lower  end  of  the  open  circuits  was  quickly  completed,  but  to  reach 
Fontenoy  where  the  work  was  to  be  resumed,  required  a  long  trip  by  way  of 
Sommauthe  and  St.  Pierremont,  with  every  possibility  of  encountering  hope- 
less jams  on  the  road,  or  of  carrying  the  tools  and  material  up  a  long  hill  and 

down  from  the  main  road  to  Fontenoy. 
The  men  of  the  406th  were  willing 
workers  but  they  were  almost  com- 
pletely exhausted  by  their  efforts  of 
the  preceding  days.  Major  Griest 
interviewed  the  captain  who  was  in 
charge  of  the  traffic  on  the  roads  to 
try  to  persuade  him  to  open  to  the 
signal  trucks  the  one-way  road  to 
Fontenoy.  The  Captain  considered 
the  situation  for  a  moment,  looked 
over  the  trucks  which  he  was  assured 
were  all  in  good  condition,  and  after 
the  Major  agreed  that  should  south- 
bound traffic  be  encountered  he  would, 
if  necessary,  ditch  the  trucks  and  carry 
the  material  from  that  point,  the  cap- 
tain gave  his  consent  and  piloted  the 
truck  train  up  the  road. 

This  was  unexpected  good  fortune 
Major  Rexford  M.  Giaspey  and  at  Fontenoy  the  men  set  to  work 


KAMERAB!" 


^3S 


UNITED'STATES'ARI 


CITATION 


FOR    EXCEPTIONALLY    MERITORIOUS     AND    CONSPICUOUS 
SERVICES        _£/  :i^-3tfliU.d£.il(?tl::lJ-':^<^.^^ei^)i-ii'^~— 

American    Expeditionary  •  Forces 

IN  testimony   thereof,  and  as  an  expression  of 

appreciation  of  these  services,  i  award  him  this 

citation 


AWARIi!  h  ON  ,  ■/ .K.'^ 


")    '" 


Major  Glaspey's  Citation 


with  such  vigor  that  in  two  hours  they  reached  Lieutenant  Schmidt's  men 
working  from  the  north.  Schmidt  had  succeeded  in  reaching  St.  Pierremont, 
but  he  too  had  struck  disheartening  conditions.  Poles  which  had  been  in 
place  on  the  line  the  night  before  and  to  which  the  circuits  of  twist  were 
attached  had  been  cut  down  to  repair  the  almost  obliterated  road.  This  made 
it  necessary  to  cut  poles  from  German  lines  and  drag  them  into  place.  The  four 
circuits  were  completed  at  five  o'clock.  But  the  extension  leading  to  Stonne 
which  was  being  built  by  the  Field  Battalion  was  not  yet  finished  as  the  trucks 
carrying  the  material  had  been  stalled  throughout  the  day  south  of  Oches. 


That  night  Colonel  Behn  came  up  from  Army  Headquarters  with  sad 
news.  Major  Glaspey  had  been  ill  at  the  hospital  in  Toul,  but  because  of 
his  conscientious  conception  of  the  work  for  which  he  was  responsible,  he 
had  insisted  on  leaving  the  hospital  before  he  had  fully  recovered.  As  a 
result  he  contracted  pneumonia  and  died  at  Base  Hospital  No.  51  on  the 
fifth  of  November.  Colonel  Behn  had  become  acquainted  with  Glaspey  while 
at  General  Headquarters  and  had  become  very  much  attached  to  him.  In 
fact  every  one  had  liked  the  young  officer.  There  was  not  a  man  in  the 
Battalion  but  that  felt  deeply  his  death. 


Chapter  XXIV 


The    Armistice 


THERE  were  persistent  rumors  of  armistice  negotiations,  but  there  was 
nothing  in  the  way  of  official  news.  For  the  most  part,  there  was  little 
excitement  over  the  reports.  One  night  some  of  the  men  were  enjoy- 
ing a  game  of  "stud"  in  a  light-proof  shack — it  must  have  been  pay  day.  There 
was  a  goodly  sized  "pot"  and  one  of  the  fellows  was  just  about  to  bet.  A  bang 
on  the  door  and  an  ex-dispatch  rider  of  the  Battalion  burst  into  the  room. 
"The  war  is  over!"  he  yelled.  The  man  whose  turn  it  was  to  bet,  started  to 
jump  up  from  his  seat.  Jerry  Hamilton  grabbed  him  by  the  shoulder  and 
unceremoniously  planked  him  down. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you?  What  if  the  war  is  over?  Has  that  got 
anything  to  do  with  winning  this  pot?" 

While  the  Field  Battalion  continued  its  effort  to  carry  the  circuits  to  Sedan 
the  406th  set  to  work  repairing  the  heavy  lateral  leads  which  the  Germans 
had  abandoned  along  the  Germont-Harricourt-Buzancy  road. 

On  the  morning  of  the  ninth  startling  news  was  received — the  First  Corps 
was  to  be  relieved  for  a  rest !  The  troops  of  the  Fifth  Corps  immediately  took 
over  all  of  its  responsibilities.     There  was  a  feeling  that  the  end  was  very  close 


THE    ARMISTICE  237 

and  the  men  of  the  BattaHon  were  none  too  well  pleased  to  be  compelled  thus 
to  quit  just  when  the  finish  of  the  job  was  in  sight.  But  orders  are  orders  and 
that  day  the  men  of  the  406th  scattered  over  the  country  side  examining  the 
places  in  which  the  fighting  had  been  most  intense  and  where  the  German  re- 
treat has  been  most  rapid.  Hundreds  of  souvenirs  were  collected,  some  of 
which  eventually  found  their  way  to  friends  back  home.  Late  in  the  day 
Lieutenant  Hasskarl  set  off  for  Chehery  with  his  P.  C.  section  to  prepare 
temporary  quarters  for  the  Corps,  while  Pearson  was  dispatched  with  Urffer 
to  hunt  up  Jeff  Adams  who  with  his  truck  was  still  somewhere  in  the  region  to 
the  north.     Urffer  tells  of  this  effort: 

"A  detail  made  up  of  Jeff  Adams  of  'E'  Company  and  Whitlock, 
Fullerton  and  Althouse  of  'D'  had  been  sent  out  with  orders  to 
establish  a  supply  dump  at  Stonne,  a  town  situated  about  eighteen 
kilometers  north  of  Buzancy.  All  except  Jeff  Adams  unloaded  and 
returned  to  the  outfit  in  a  couple  of  days.  Jeff,  however,  was  ordered 
to  take  his  truck  load  of  wire  to  a  point  beyond  Raucourt  and  in 
doing  this  he  encountered  difficulties  of  the  worst  kind.  The  traffic 
was  heavy  and  the  road  bad.  Beyond  Chehery  he  was  mired  and 
unable  to  move  for  about  seventy-two  hours. 

"Lieutenant  Pearson  and  I  were  out  on  a  hunt  for  Jeff,  and  on 
November  twelfth  we  met  him  tramping  along  the  road  from  Grand- 
pre  to  Buzancy,  thirty-five  kilometers  from  the  point  where  his 
truck  was  stuck  in  the  mud.  He  had  traveled  thirty-five  kilometers, 
much  of  the  distance  on  foot  with  an  occasional  ride  on  a  passing 
vehicle.  We  picked  him  up  and  headed  for  the  truck.  After  we  gave 
him  something  to  eat,  'the  man  from  Kaintuck'  became  more  soci- 
able. We  reached  the  truck  and  found  four  loads  of  wounded  men 
ahead  of  it.  We  came  across  an  engineer  outfit  which  had  a  Holt 
tractor  and  after  two  hours  of  strenuous  digging  and  lugging  we  were 
on  our  way  home." 

The  weather  had  become  very  cold.  On  the  morning  of  the  tenth,  tools 
and  supplies  were  chopped  out  of  the  frozen  mud,  loaded  on  the  trucks  and 
the  Battalion  was  on  its  way  to  the  south.  Early  in  the  afternoon  Pleinchamp 
Farm  was  reached  where  Hasskarl  had  managed  to  preempt  sufficient  space 
to  house  the  outfit.  Mess  was  established  and  it  did  not  take  the  men  long 
to  make  themselves  at  home  in  the  stables.  Three  new  officers.  Lieutenants 
Wright,  Lee  and  Green,  waited  here  to  report  for  duty.  It  seemed  the  per- 
versity of  fate  to  finish  the  long  and  extremely  active  campaign  without  a  full 
complement  of  officers  and  for  replacements  to  arrive  when  the  Battalion 
had  started  into  a  rest  area. 

That  evening  there  was  the  customary  meeting  with  Colonel  Voris,  and 
while  the  officers  were  talking  over  the  possibilities  of  the  situation  a  lieutenant 
from  the  Intelligence  Section  of  the  General  Staff  rushed  into  the  office  wav- 
ing a  paper  and  shouting,  "The  Armistice  has  been  signed."     The  Signal 


HEiJiO,-jAIiT35t3  TIRST  AKTT  CORPS 

Nov.  10,  191&. 

rrom:  Chief  of  Staff,  lat  Amy  Oort'S,  U.  S. 

;£oi  Chief  Signal  Officer,  Ist  Corps,  U.  S. 

Subject:     Ilecogniticn  of  sei-vicos  of  signal  -personnel. 

1.  The  Cordis  Conaander  desires  xho  i-*erf.»iBxGl  of  the  Sif^nal  'battalions 
under  your  control  to  be  informed,  and  tnie  irtforuiation  io  to  include  truolmen 
linemen,  tolephono  o:a;han^cr.eii,  radio-uen  and  all  others  v/ho  are  under  your 
control,  of  hla  full  a;pprooiatioTi  of  tiieir  services  and  their  devotion  to  the 
interests  of  the  service. 

2.  He  decires  them  informed  and  that  they  understand  that  each  tcan  hag 
contributed  in  no  uncertain  way  to  the  success  of  the  1st  Corps  a;id  Its 
elements  and  tliat  without  their  devotion  to  duty,  the  results  obtained  could 
not  have  boen  possible. 

3.  incldentalliT,  this  expression  of  appreciation  includes  the  Chief 
Si^Uct  Officer  hins«L£  and  those  of  liia  office  force  associated  \;ith  him. 


iiKcriiir'*^'^ 

Chief  of  Staff 


i^xr 


1st  Ind. 


0.  Sig.  0,,  1st  Artny  Corps,  American  EioDeditionary  Forces,  11  November,  1918t 
To  each  and  every  member  of  the  322nd  ?ield  Battalion  and  C06th  Telegraph 
Battalion,  Signal  CoriJS, 

1.  It  is  \;ith  the  ;^eatest  pleasui'e  that  tlie  undersicned  traiismits  to 
you  the  letter  of  appreciation  of  rajor  General  j,  v.  Diclaran,  the  Cor^s 
Comnander,  and  of  Bricadier  General  I'alin  Craifi,  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Corps, 
for  the  \/ondcrfiil  -..-orlc  accomplished  by  the  CoriJS  Signal  troops  throughout  the 
activities  of  tlie  First  American  Corps. 

2.  No  other  Acierican  Corps  has  been  called  upon,  nor  had  the  opportunity 
to  equal  the  aohievoments  of  the  Virst  Corps  during  the  present  \.ar.     Its 
aotivitios  have  included  the  advance  of  July  and  August  from  Chateau  Tliierry  to 
the  Vesle,  the  reduction  of  the  St.  Hihiel  salient  in  .September,  and  the  capture 
of  the  Arconne  Forest,  follo\/ed  by  the  advance  to  the  outskirts  of  Sedan  in 
October  and  iToverabor. 

3.  That  the  mission  of  the  Corps  Signal  troops  was  v;oll  done  is  evidenced 
by  the  above  letter.     The  details  of  the  irastorful  ncnnor  in  \/hiGh  hardships  and 
difficulties  v/ere  overcome  in  tlie  ^>erioriiance  of  Lhis  duty  are  taiown  and  a^rireo- 
iated  to  the  fullest  o:;teut.     T.'io  cmc3:;ien  liauliny  supplies  over  well  ni^  Im- 
passable roads;  the  line.aon  and  tvoubleaen  6::tGr:?.lr^  and  naintaining  telephone 
lines  in  the  rain  und  co^-d  and  olton  ui:dor  she>.lfire;   t  lo  telephone,  telesraph 
and  radio  detachr.ents  ns.iziiiQ  inmincrable  instaTlsT-icrts   in  lea!y  attics  or  arosty 
caves,  and  all  v/or?:inG  botli  day  r.id  night,  result Jd  in  a  completed  system  \/hich 
would  be  a  credit  to  rcany  civil  plants. 

4.  7e  are  no\r  officially  informed  that  an  ari.iistice  iictv/een  our  Allies 
and  the  enoir^  has  been  signed,  and  tliat  hostilities  cease  today.     We  must  not 
bo  unmindful  that  the  \.-or}c  which  has  thus  far  been  so  successfully  accoinp- 
lished  is  not  yet  complete,     You  may  expect  tliat  the  worst  service  is  before 
you,     v/ithout  the  excitement  Of  active  operations,  will  more  than  ever  come  to 
your  minds  visions  of  home,  the  companionship  of  those  dear  to  you,  and  the 
loss  of  the  opportunities  of  oivil  life,    A  huge  task  is  yet  to  be  accor-ipliflhed 
by  tlio  American  soldier,  and  in  the  greax  confidence  of  your  past  success,  mo 
look  fort/ard  toward  the  final  cocipletlon  of  this  great  undertaking,  so  that  v/hen 
it  is  over,  you  nsy  say  as  iH  ,xixe  past,-  "WE  PUT  IT, OVER  FOR  OLD  BOraHEfiD". 


:'^>  '^oX 


'ilVlJl  0.   ifoPlB 

Ooliwel.  Slgaal  Oorps. 


A    LETTER    OF    COMMENDATION 
238 


THE   ARMISTICE 


239 


Office  was  emptied  as  if  by  magic.  The  officers  hurried  to  the  telegraph  key 
in  the  adjoining  room  to  wire  Army  headquarters  for  information.  The  reply 
came  back  that  there  was  a  very  persistent  report  that  the  Armistice  had  been 
signed  but  that  official  confirmation  had  not  been  received.  The  French  con- 
sidered the  report  authentic  and  immediately  throughout  the  chateau  every  one 
burst  into  an  uproar.  Up  in  one  of  the  corridors  of  the  second  story,  there 
was  an  old  piano  which  had  survived  the  Boche  occupation.  This  instru- 
ment was  quickly  surrounded  by  a  group  of  French  and  Americans  and  in  the 
dim  light  of  a  few  candles,  which  some  one  had  been  bold  enough  to  light 


Pleinchamp  Farm 


regardless  of  possible  visits  from  the  German  bombers,  the  Frenchmen  started 
to  play  the  "Marseillaise."  All  joined  exultantly  in  this  triumphant  song, 
and  when  it  was  finished  the  French  joined  the  Americans  in  singing  the 
American  National  Anthem. 

The  news  had  spread  to  the  Battalion  quarters  in  the  nearby  stable.  The 
men  of  Company  "E"  were  in  the  loft  and  Company  "D"  was  immediately 
underneath.  During  the  souvenir  gathering,  many  of  the  men  had  acquired 
Boche  pistols  and  ammunition.  These  were  brought  into  play  and  a  racket 
burst  forth  which  resembled  a  dozen  machine  guns  all  in  action  at  the  same 
time.  The  roof  was  shot  full  of  holes  and  bore  the  brunt  of  the  Company  "E" 
attack.  Luckily  for  the  Pittsburgh  crowd  however,  the  men  of  "D"  did  not 
shoot  upwards,  but  peppered  the  walls  and  windows. 

While  the  uproar  was  at  its  height  the  Corps  Provost  Marshall  advanced 
on  the  barracks.  But  his  approach  was  detected  and  when  he  entered  the 
building  all  was  quiet.     He  called  for  the  noncom  in  charge.     He  received  no 


240  THE    FIRST    BATTALION 

response.  Every  one  was  industriously  snoring.  He  stumbled  over  arms  and 
legs  and  bodies  in  the  darkness.  He  finally  departed  cussing  the  whole  outfit 
and  very  much  to  the  relief  of  the  men,  Favinger  and  Koser  particularly. 

The  singing  in  the  chateau  and  the  "fireworks"  was  the  entire  celebration 
for  the  troops  marooned  in  the  small  village  which  the  fighting  of  the  past  two 
months  had  almost  annihilated.  The  nearest  cafe  was  several  hours  journey 
to  the  rear,  and  in  the  rush  forward  all  materials  which  might  be  used  to  help 
celebrate  such  an  occasion  as  this  had  long  since  been  consumed. 

The  members  of  the  Corps  had  been  working  at  top  speed  and  under  the 
greatest  strain  from  the  time  they  entered  the  St.  Mihiel  sector  in  September. 
By  the  time  the  effort  in  the  direction  of  Sedan  was  suspended  the  men  of  the 
406th  were  thoroughly  exhausted  from  keeping  the  divisions  supplied  with 
signal  material  and  from  maintaining  telephone  service  for  the  Corps.  They 
were  almost  stimned.  "Numbed  and  dumbed,"  was  the  expression  of  one  of 
them.  Thoughts  turned  now  toward  home.  It  was  the  first  time  since  the 
arrival  in  France  that  there  was  something  tangible  on  which  to  base  hopes  of 
returning  to  the  States. 

On  the  morning  of  the  eleventh  the  report  of  the  Armistice  was  confirmed 
and  the  Corps  received  instructions  from  the  Army  that  all  hostilities  would 
cease  at  eleven  o'clock.  Throughout  the  night  of  the  tenth  and  the  morning 
of  the  eleventh,  the  distant  rumble  of  the  artillery  could  be  heard.  The  Allies 
were  on  their  guard  against  a  last  minute  trick  on  the  part  of  the  Boches. 

The  fighting  was  over.  Gas  masks  and  helmets  would  soon  fall  into  the 
discard  or  be  hung  on  pegs  from  which  they  need  be  removed  only  for  inspec- 
tion. No  longer  would  the  roads  be  blocked  with  artillery  and  ammunition 
and  ambulances.  Work  there  was  to  be  done,  but  what,  or  where,  or  when, 
or  how  much  nobody  knew  nor  cared.  As  "Cal"  Miller  put  it,  "Things  won't 
be  so  bad  now  that  the  'armature'  is  signed." 


Chapter  XXV 


''Whe7i   Do  IVe   Go   Homer 


^FTER  the  cessation  of  hostilities,  plans  were  made  for  forming  the  army 
which,  according  to  the  terms  of  the  Armistice,  was  to  occupy  the  terri- 
tory around  Coblenz.  It  was  at  first  contemplated  that  the  First 
Army  Corps  was  to  have  the  honor  of  leading  the  entry  into  Germany.  It 
had  been  in  the  greatest  number  of  drives  and  had  made  the  greatest  advances. 
However,  the  First  Corps  was  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  American  front  and 
transportation  facilities  in  the  devastated  area  were  poor.  The  motor  vehicles, 
on  account  of  the  constant  and  wearing  use  which  they  had  been  given,  were 
not  in  shape  to  transport  the  Corps  troops.  It  was  decided  therefore  to  take 
the  Staff  officers  from  the  First  Army  Corps  to  form  the  nucleus  of  the  new 
3rd  Army  Headquarters.  The  remaining  troops  were  to  be  drawn  from  units 
which  could  more  readily  be  delivered  to  the  Rhine. 

Colonel  Voris  pleaded  long  to  be  allowed  to  take  the  406th  Battalion  with 
him  into  Germany,  even  going  so  far  as  to  offer  to  operate  with  it  alone  and 
forego  the  additional  telegraph  battalion  and  the  field  battalion  allowed  to 
an  Army.  The  Chief  Signal  Officer  decreed  that,  in  view  of  its  long  and  active 
service,  the  406th  was  to  be  one  of  the  first  battalions  designated  for  return 
to  the  United  States.  The  Battalion  therefore  bid  goodbye  to  the  officers  of 
the  First  Corps,  who  started  toward  Dun-sur-Meuse  to  join  the  Army  of 
Occupation. 


242 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


For  another  week  the  BattaHon  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Chehery,  and 
the  men  roamed  over  the  fields  on  which  not  more  than  a  month  before  there 
had  been  bitter  fighting.  Over  fifty  miles  of  twisted  pair,  which  had  been 
strung  along  the  roads  by  the  divisions  during  their  advance,  were  salvaged 
during  this  period.  When  the  wire  had  been  delivered  at  Parois,  the  Corps 
troops  departed  for  Tonnerre.  Once  more  and  for  the  last  time.  Price  and 
Cowan,  with  their  P.  C.  detail,  set  off  in  advance  of  the  main  body  to  establish 
the  telephone  exchange.  On  the  twenty-second  of  November,  the  Battalion 
took  up  its  quarters  in  the  Moulin  d'Enfer  on  the  outskirts  of  Tonnerre,  the 
men  confidently  anticipating  Christmas  at  home. 

Thanksgiving  Day  was  decreed  a  holiday  in  the  army  and  many  of  the 


Some  Views  of  Tonnerre 


''WHEN   DO    WE   GO    HOME?''  243 

American  soldiers  attended  a  "Te  Deum"  sung  in  Notre  Dame — an  old  church 
erected  in  the  sixteenth  century.  But  to  a  healthy  crowd  of  men,  dinner  is  the 
big  thing  on  Thanksgiving.  On  account  of  the  recent  move,  the  Quarter- 
master was  unable  to  provide  extra  food  for  the  holiday. 

The  mess  fund  however  had  weathered  fifteen  months  of  foreign  service 
and  was  still  in  fair  shape.  Thevelin  was  dispatched  with  a  detail  to  comb  the 
countryside  for  turkeys  and  chickens.  In  the  preceding  months  there  had 
been  few  meals  which  were  worthy  of  the  name.  The  hustle  and  bustle  and 
confusion  had  made  regular  mess  impossible.  At  the  Thanksgiving  dinner 
every  man  sat  down  comfortably  and  enjoyed  himself  in  a  civilized  manner. 
Tables  were  arranged  on  a  large  open  balcony  at  one  end  of  the  mill.  But 
French  weather  is  fickle.  Just  as  all  were  seated  and  the  attack  on  the  turkey 
and  sweet  potatoes  commenced,  the  threatening  skies  let  fall  a  torrent  of  rain. 
It  takes  more  than  a  shower  to  dampen  the  enthusiasm  of  a  gang  of  hungry 
men.  They  stuck  to  the  finish,  the  final  sortie  disposing  of  the  mince  pies 
over  which  Pemberton  had  labored  diligently,  and  from  the  comments,  suc- 
cessfully. 

Pemberton  and  "Bill"  Dailey  were  assigned  the  task  of  building  a  cook 
stove  in  the  kitchen.  Cement  and  bricks  were  necessary.  They  went  to  a 
stone  mason.  He  asked  a  price  about  four  times  as  high  as  "Pem"  and  Bill 
felt  they  should  pay.  They  refused  to  buy.  It  was  the  only  place  in  the  town 
where  the  materials  could  be  secured.  After  dark  they  took  a  light  truck  and 
drove  up  to  the  mason's  shop.  It  was  just  across  the  street  from  the  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  A  big  show  was  being  given  there  and  the  whole  street  was  as  bright  as 
day  from  the  lights  in  the  building.  Pem  made  up  his  mind  that  the  stove 
was  going  to  be  built.  He  slipped  into  the  "Y"  and  short  circuited  the  light- 
ing wires.  This  blew  the  fuses  and  put  out  all  the  lights.  Huss  of  the  Bat- 
talion was  electrician  at  the  "Y"  and  he  put  in  new  fuses.  They  blew  out. 
He  started  on  a  hunt  for  the  "short"  but  Pem  had  done  his  work  well. 

Meantime  in  the  darkness  across  the  street  Pem  climbed  the  fence  and 
threw  a  bag  of  cement  over  to  Bill.  Bill  failed  to  catch  it,  and  it  fell  on  the 
ground  and  burst.  Pem  did  not  know  this  and  he  tossed  another  over.  The 
second  one  caught  Bill  on  the  back  of  the  head,  and  buried  his  face  in  the  loose 
cement  on  the  ground.  He  sputtered,  but  dodged  the  third  one.  The  cement 
and  about  a  hundred  bricks  were  loaded  on  the  truck.  Then  Pemberton 
went  over  to  the  "Y"  where  five  hundred  soldiers  were  raving  in  the  darkness. 
He  removed  the  "short"  and  the  show  went  on.  The  stove  was  built  and  later 
settlement  was  made  for  the  "purchased"  materials. 

Captain  Gauss  had  accompanied  the  Corps  to  Tonnerre  with  his  old 
friends  in  the  Battalion.  At  Colonel  Voris'  request  he  was  now  assigned 
to  the  3rd  Army  and  sent  to  Coblenz.  He  was  made  Superintendent  of 
Telegraph  and  Telephone  Service  for  the  3rd  Army,  and  handled  the  trans- 


244 


THE    FIRST   B  ATT  ALION 


ferring  and  building  up  of  existing  German  circuits  for  the  Army  of  Occupa- 
tion. This  work  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  study  German  construction  and 
necessitated  frequent  visits  to  BerHn.  He  was  promoted  to  Major  and  made 
himself  so  valuable  to  the  Signal  Office  at  Coblenz  that  he  was  not  released 
for  return  to  the  United  States  until  the  following  September. 

Life     at     Tonnerre      , 


KEADJUARTEHS   TIEST  ASKY  CORPS 
JHEBIOAS  EXPEDITIOBABY  POBCES 


15,  February  1919. 


quickly  became  organ- 
ized. In  many  respects 
it  was  the  hardest  part  of 
the  overseas  service.  En- 
tertainments and  athletic 
events  helped  to  pass  the 
time. 

Captain  Macfarlan 
(who  had  been  promoted 
from  lieutenant  during 
the  Argonne  fight)  with 
thehelp  of  Jerry  Hamilton 
staged  a  very  creditable 
minstrel  show  in  the  Y. 
M.  C.  A.  As  a  result  of 
this  show,  Macfarlan  was 
taken  by  the  Corps  Adju- 
tant as  an  assistant  direc- 
tor of  athletics  and  enter- 
tainments, and  he  entered 
actively  into  scheduling 
football  and  basketball 
games  and  boxing 
matches  throughout  the 
Corps  Area. 

Men  of  the  406th  had 
been  working  in  the  Corps 
Telephone  and  Telegraph 
office  since  the  arrival  at 
Tonnerre.     Early  in  De- 
cember troops  from  the   ist  Army  replaced  them.     This  made  rumors  of  an 
early  departure  for  America  even  more  persistent.     "When  do  we  go  home?" 
was  heard  even  more  frequently  than  "Come  seven,"  or  "Little  Joe,"  or 
"Big  Dick,"  or   "Phoebe." 

Football  teams  were  formed  in  the  divisions  and  a  team  was  selected  to 
represent  the  Corps  troops — Miller,  Haislop,  Rauenswinder,  Lord  and  Thompson 


GEHEBAL  ORDEBB.    ) 
BO.      - 


i,       l.        IB  oODipllanco  with  Speclttl  t>rdora.Io.   26,  Head- 
yrjtera  Jlrst  Army,    dated  9  February  1919,  the  406th  Telegraph 
Battnlion  stands  relieved  from  this  Corps. 

2.        Tho  406th  Telegraph  Battalion  landed  In  Prance  on 
August  20th,   1917,  as  the  Ist  Telegraph  Battalion.   Signal  Eeserve 
Corps;    its  designation  being  changed  in  October  to  the  406th 
Telegyiiii  Battalion,      It  was  one  of  the  two  first  conpLjte 
Acicrlean  Signal  units  to  arrlvo   in  ?ra?ce.     After  a  fall  and     ' 
winter  of  work  in  inatalling  and  maintaining  telephone  offices 
and  lines  in  tho  Chaujnont  -  Neufohateau  -  Toul  region,    ttie  Batta- 
lion was  aasignea  to  the  lat  Array  Corps  on  February  17th.  1918, 
being  the  first  unit  of  Corps  Troopa,  after  the  Headquarters 
Troop,  assigned  to  the  Corps, 

J.       Curing  the  spring  ot  1918  tho  Battdllon  continued 
to  mr.lntain  and  operate  lines  in  the  region  of  lIeulohateaur.and 
up. to  the  Toul  sector,  as  wellrat  vorhir.!;  in  that  and  the 
Baccarat  sectors. 

4.  UoTing  with  the  1st  Corps  In  June,  1913,  to  La- 
Perte-sous-Jouarre,   the  Battalion  installed,   operated' and  main- 
tained telegraiii  and  telephone  services  for    the  Ist  Array  Corps 
at  its  many  hcadou-rtors  Curiild  the  adTTjioc  fron  the^llarne  to 
the  Vesle;    in  tho   St.   Mihiel  attoclc,   and  in  the  Battle  of  the 
Argonne  and  the  advr.nce  to  the  Ueuae,   from  the  beginning  of 
that  attack  to  tho  cessation  of  hoatllltlea,  and  subsequently 

at  the  Corps  Headquarters  at  Tonnerre.      Thla  work  waa  frequently 
done  under  the  most  adverae  oonditions,  and  often  exposed  to 
cneny  shell  fire.      Its  service  under  battle  conditions  was 
practlcily  continuous  from  the  beginning  of  the  attack  north- 
west of  Chateau- Thierry  on  July  18,  1918,  until  tho  signing  of 
the  armistice  ,on  Bovenber  11,  1918,    including  In  that  perio-' 
tho  Installation,  often  on  tho  Aortest  notice,  aid  mainteinaooe 
of  ivire  connunlcatlona  at  thirteen  different  Headquarters  of 
this  Corps. 

5.  Its  work  has  been  excellent;  a  record  of  a  hard 
task  well  done,  without  ooaplainlng,  without  any  need  of  the 
slightest  disciplinary  ?.ctlon;    and  the  part  It  has  played  In 
keeping  the  Corps  Staff  In  touch  with  Its   troops  has  been  of 
primary  Importance   In  all  the  Corps  Operations, 

6.  Tho  Corpa  Corar^andcr  takes  this  occasion  to 
exprcsa  hlj  waro  appri-clation  of  the  aorvlcoa  of  the  406th 
Telegraph  Battalion  as  a  part  of  the  1st  Corps  and  wishes  It 
God  Speed  in  tho   return  to  the   United  States  ifcloh  It  ha.s  ao 
well  earned. 

By  command  of  Major  General  Vrlghtt 

W.    M.    PASSETT, 
Chief  of  Staff. 


H.    H.   BEllY. 
Lieut.  Colonel, 
Adjutant. 


WHEN   DO    WE    GO    HOME? 


245 


CHIEF  UCXAL  OrriCEB,  B.  O.  S. 
Amirlon  Kiptdittaasi/  Fsrtw 


K)! 


AM££ICAN  EXPEDITIONARY  rOBOES 
BEADQtTABTEBS  SEEVICES  OF  SUPFLT 

ornce  of  the  Chief   Signal  Officer 


Fobrnaty  24,  1919 
Chl«f  Signal  Officer,  k.Z.r. 

OonEandine  Officer,  406th  lelegraiii  B»tt«llon(ain  O.S.O.  5th  Corps,) 
Sloiiziere-Tojma . 


being  chosen  on  the  latter.  On  account  of  the  comparatively  small  number  of 
men  in  the  Corps  troops,  it  could  not  successfully  compete  with  teams  chosen 
from  the  thousands  of  men  available  in  the  divisions.  Consequently,  it  was 
eliminated  when  it  was  decisively  beaten  by  the  8oth  Division. 

In  basketball  and  boxing,  the  406th  fared  much  better.     Magill  organized  a 

basketball  team 
on  which  were  H. 
M.  King,  Hutch- 
inson, Poole,  Sey- 
mour, Guenther 
and  Marr.  The 
basketball  games 
were  scheduled  for 
Sunday  after- 
noons in  the  town 
market-house. 
Here  the  cement 
floor  gave  an  op- 
portunity for  fast 
play  and  the 
games  were  en- 
joyed by  crowds 
from  the  French 
populace  quite  as 
much  as  by  the 
enthusiastic  spec- 
tators from  the 
Corps  troops. 
Magill's  team  won 
every  game  in 
which  it  com- 
peted. 

According  to 
the  regulations 
each  soldier  was 
entitled  to  a  seven- 
day  leave  every  four  months.  In  the  sixteen  months  of  foreign  service  the 
men  of  the  Battalion  had  had  practically  none.  At  Tonnerre  permission  was 
obtained  for  ten  per  cent  and  later  for  twenty  per  cent  of  the  Battalion  to  go  at 
one  time.  The  first  men  were  assigned  to  Aix-les-Bains.  They  were  given  a 
round  of  entertainment,  both  in  the  Casino  and  in  side  trips,  and  they  came 
back  to  the  Battalion  after  their  seven-day  stay  anxious  to  try  it  again. 


BUBiBl'!:     Berrle*  of  taUtory  of  406th  lelagnrph  Battalion. 

1.  I  have  Just  received  a  copy  of  General  Orders  Ho.  8,  Esadquartera 
first  in^  Coz^s,  yebroary  15,   In  which  the  COBUuindiog  General  of  that  Corps 
hrlefly  reviews  the  history  of  the  406th  loleBi-ajOi  Battalion,  and  takes  occasion 
on  your  relief  from  the  Corps  to  comnond  the  wori  of  tho  Battalion  In  the  waraest 
tezns. 

2.  Biere  is  no  comneBdat  ion  which  is  more  desirahle  than  that  which  comes 
from  those  with  whom  officers  and  organizations  served.       ae  history  of  the 
406th  Telegraph  Battalion  is  so  interwoven  with  that  of  the  tremendous  and 
successful  work  of  tho  Signal  corps  in  Prance  that  It  particularly  deserves 
Botise. 

3.  Tour  Battalion  ms  one  of  tha  two  that  arrived  first,  and  has  oomo 
the  hurdan  of  tha  enomous  telsgr^h  oonstructlon  worjc  which  has  teen  the  flira 
basis  for  our  suocessfol  cdnnnnlcatloas  throu^out  Prance. 

4.  Prcra  constmotlon  woric  In  the  S.O.S.  your  Battalion  has  gone  to  dnty 
with  the  Pirst  ixmj  Corps  and  talcen  a  glorious  part  In  all  of  the  hard  fl^itlng 
iJi  iblch  that  Corps  has  been  engaged. 

6.       It  is  a  matter  of  pride  with  me  to  have  such  an  organization  serving 
with  tha  signal  Corps,  and  I  feal  that  the  officers  aid  men  of  your  Battalion 
may  return  to  tha  Dnited  states  with  the  approval  of  your  own  consciences,  aai 
heartily  deserving  the  well  earned  plaudits  which  I  am  sure  your  fellow  cltlsans 
•ill  accord  to  yon. 


E.  BOSSEI, 
Brigadier  Ooseral 
C.S.O. 


246  THE    FIRST   BATTALION 

Before  long  the  Battalion  leave  allotments  included  permission  to  go  to  the 
Riviera.  Monte  Carlo  was  given  the  "once  over"  by  those  who  visited  this 
area,  and  Italy  was  so  close  at  hand  that  few  missed  the  opportunity  to  set 
foot  for  a  moment  at  least,  on  her  soil.  Dobbie  received  permission  to  visit 
Scotland;  Burnett,  Conway  and  Magill  reached  Ireland;  and  Alfieri  held  a 
reunion  with  his  family  in  Italy.  The  leave  orders  constantly  became  more 
liberal  and  by  the  latter  part  of  December,  three-day  leaves  for  Paris  had 
been  authorized.  At  times  more  than  half  of  the  406th  was  on  leave  at 
one  time. 

The  air  of  impatience  in  the  Battalion  as  Christmas  time  approached  can 
better  be  imagined  than  described.  Day  after  day  passed  and  still  no  orders 
came.  Home  seemed  as  far  away  as  it  had  a  year  ago.  It  must  be  confessed 
that  at  first  there  was  not  a  great  amount  of  enthusiasm  in  the  preparation 
for  the  second  Christmas  in  France.  But  as  the  holiday  season  came  nearer 
and  it  was  realized  that  there  would  be  no  chance  to  shed  the  old  khaki,  nor  to 
put  feet  under  the  dining  room  table  at  home  while  sinking  teeth  into  the  drum- 
stick of  a  regular,  home-grown,  fat  and  juicy  gobbler,  a  little  more  interest  was 
taken.  When  the  day  before  Christmas  arrived  there  was  considerable 
activity  around  the  barracks. 

The  mess  fund  still  survived  but  just  for  luck  a  request  was  made  to  General 
Headquarters  for  a  cash  allowance  for  Christmas  dinner.  Not  a  chance !  So 
the  strong  boxes  were  dipped  into  once  more.  Thevelin,  who  continued  with 
his  friends  in  the  406th  until  January  when  his  class  was  demobilized,  and 
Vance  scoured  the  country  side.  They  came  back  with  a  truck  load  of  turkeys 
and  green  vegetables.  Christmas  Eve  was  spent  by  the  noncoms  with  the 
mess  organization  in  preparing  for  the  feast.  Throughout  the  active  cam- 
paigns, the  company  messes  had  been  combined  and  run  as  a  battalion  mess. 
At  Tonnerre,  however,  the  messes  were  separated  and  each  Company  provided 
for  its  Christmas  spread  in  accordance  with  its  own  ideas.  This  year  the 
regulations  forbade  the  sending  of  large  packages  to  the  men  in  France  but 
bundles  of  Christmas  cards  and  letters  from  friends  in  the  Telephone  Company 
were  eagerly  devoured. 

During  the  morning,  the  village  bakery  was  the  scene  of  great  activity. 
Previous  efforts  at  roasting  turkeys  on  the  United  States  Army  field  range  had 
not  been  a  howling  success,  and  Pemberton  and  Vance  for  this  occasion  ar- 
ranged with  the  baker  for  the  use  of  his  ovens.  "D"  Company  decided  to 
remain  in  its  mess  quarters  in  a  stable  near  the  barracks,  but  Company  "E" 
rented  a  cafe,  which  Vance  decorated  with  evergreen  in  true  holiday  fashion. 
The  Battalion  officers  were  invited  to  attend  "E"  Company's  dinner,  which 
was  complete  from  soup  to  nuts.  There  were  four  hours  of  eating  and  jollity, 
during  which  belts  were  loosened  hole  by  hole.  If  anyone  left  the  table  with- 
out a  feeling  of  fullness,  it  was  his  own  fault. 


"WHEN   DO    WE   GO    HOME?"  247 

The  men  appreciated  that  the  success  of  their  dinner  was  due  in  large 
measure  to  the  generosity  of  the  Telephone  people  back  home.  Urfifer  wrote 
a  letter  describing  "D"  Company's  meal.  It  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  prepara- 
tions for  the  celebrations  in  both  Companies : 

"Last  year  our  Uncle  Samuel  handed  out  turkey,  calling  it  an 
'issue.'  This  year  the  scrap  was  over  and  the  boys  had  nothing  to  do 
but  sit  tight,  so  this  was  dispensed  with,  and  the  signs  of  the  time  all 
read  pas  encore,  meaning  'nix.' 

"Our  officers  and  mess  sergeant  got  together  and  decided  the 
only  thing  to  do  was  to  draw  on  that  Fund  which  was  made  up  by  the 
folks  back  home  before  we  left. 

"Therefore,  from  now  on  my  letter  must  be  built  on  that  part  of 
the  fund  which  we  used,  and  while  it  may  not  yet  be  evident,  I  am 
trying  to  convey  to  you  folks  the  fact  that  we  are  as  thankful  as  men 
can  be  for  your  thoughtfulness  in  providing  for  a  Christmas  dinner 
almost  two  years  in  advance. 

"With  the  funds  on  hand  the  only  remaining  trouble  was  to  get 
the  turkeys.  Our  mess  sergeant  and  M.  Thevelin  set  out  in  the 
'boss's'  Dodge.  After  four  long  days  of  chasing  to  and  fro  over  the 
landscape  they  collided  with  a  regiment  of  healthy  turkeys  and  with 
the  help  of  the  'circulating  medium'  taken  from  the  fund,  the  detail 
managed  to  extract  a  goodly  number  of  turks  from  their  French 
owners.     That  is  how  the  turkeys  came  about. 

"The  bewildered  turks  being  on  hand,  provision  had  to  be  made 
for  the  extras.  Uncle  Samuel  handed  us  potatoes  which  were  not 
of  the  canned  type.  Beyond  the  fact  that  potatoes  are  necessary  in 
most  kitchens,  I  have  no  idea  how  far  this  helped  the  works.  I 
know  though,  that  outside  of  this  one  item  Uncle  Sam  did  not  worry 
about  Christmas  dinner  for  the  tough  old  406th,  so  we  must  give  all 
credit  to  you  folks  and  to  Sergeant  Pemberton's  tact  and  'rustling' 
qualities,  for  what  we  had  besides  potatoes.  Hurrahs  and  yells 
should  be  kicked  over  in  the  general  direction  of  Bill  Daily,  George 
Hoffman  and  Howard  Bolt,  who  did  the  cooking.  Of  course  those 
good  natured,  affable  K.  P.'s  can  horn  in  for  some  of  the  yells. 

"We  are  now  ready  to  move  to  the  mess  hall  which  was  a  very 
good  ex-wagon  shed,  ex-Y.  M.  C.  A.  warehouse,  and  is  now  a  mighty 
fine  mess  hall.  The  process  of  moving  the  'Y'  people  out  and  the 
406th  in  was  so  tactfully  handled  by  Sergeant  Pemberton  that  we 
found  ourselves  a  few  smokes  to  the  good,  and  the  mess  sergeant 
was  able  to  buy  a  lot  of  candy  and  smokes  kind  of  'easy  like.' 

"The  'chow'  call  started  us  on  the  eats.  First  on  the  menu  was 
celery  soup.  Celery  was  only  a  camouflage  title  for  something 
mighty  fine — much  better  than  plain  celery  soup  ever  could  be. 

"From  the  soup  position  we  advanced  in  open  order  on  the  turkey, 
of  which  there  was  beaucoup  (French  for  'more  than  enough').  We 
took  all  our  objectives,  namely,  turkey,  filling,  mashed  potatoes, 
dressing  and  real  raisin  pie. 

"During  the  above  mentioned  process  we  had  speeches  by  the 


248  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

officers,  the  first  on  the  hst  being  Captain  Meigs,  who  extended  his 
good  wishes  and  those  of  the  Major,  who  could  not  be  present.  The 
Captain  reminded  us  of  the  shocked  faces  of  last  year  when  we  were 
told  we  were  due  for  another  Christmas  in  France.  He  said  it  would 
be  foolish  to  bet  a  cock-eyed  nickel  on  a  third  Christmas  over  here. 
He  topped  his  talk  with  a  pair  of  Perfectos  for  every  one  of  us.  One 
of  these  Perfectos  is  good  for  a  yell  from  any  man  and  here  were  two 
for  each  one  of  a  hundred  men !  Draw  your  own  conclusions.  It's 
enough  when  I  say  that  the  rafters  shook. 

"About  this  time  we  were  working  on  the  apples,  nuts  and  candy, 
so  Captain  Meigs  called  attention  to  our  faithful  ration  jugglers, 
otherwise  known  to  the  civilized  world  as  cooks  and  K.  P.'s.  The 
Captain,  I  am  sure,  had  no  inkling  of  the  K.  P.'s  pre-dinner  activities, 
but  anyhow  the  R.  J.'s  got  a  glorious  gang  of  cheers. 

"I  hope  you  folks  realize  that  we  had  a  real  time  and  that  each 
and  every  one  of  us  enjoyed  this  Christmas.  We  all  know  that  the 
main  reason  for  any  soldier's  enjoying  any  event  is  good  things  to  eat, 
and  as  we  got  these  things  directly  through  you,  we  wish  to  thank 
you  all  sincerely  and  heartily,  for  out  of  a  rather  dreary  outlook  you 
enabled  us  to  gather  and  make  a  Christmas  party  which  none  of  us  will 
ever  forget." 

So  successful  were  the  Christmas  dinners  that  both  of  the  Companies 
decided  to  have  another  special  spread  on  New  Year's  day.  There  seemed  to 
be  no  bottom  to  the  box  containing  the  company  funds.  This  time  "D" 
Company  made  extensive  arrangements,  and  for  the  occasion  procured  a  whole 
pig,  which  was  roasted  in  the  oven  at  the  bakery.  It  was  the  piece  de  resistance 
of  a  most  elaborate  meal  which  started  with  rabbit  soup  and  ended  only  when 
each  of  the  diners  was  stuffed  to  capacity. 

Life  at  Tonnerre  developed  into  a  round  of  instructions  and  inspections 
during  the  daytime  and  dances  and  entertainments  at  night.  Schools  had 
been  started  in  the  First  Army  Corps  and  studies  ranged  from  improvement 
in  reading  and  spelling  to  courses  in  international  law.  Attending  the  classes 
were  more  men  from  the  406th  than  from  all  of  the  other  Corps  units  combined. 
Cowan  and  Tomlinson  were  permanently  detailed  to  the  instruction  force. 

The  signal  equipment  of  the  Battalion  was  overhauled  and  turned  in  little 
by  little,  although  Colonel  Higgins  who  was  Corps  Signal  Officer  was  not 
anxious  to  release  it.  He  felt  that  there  might  be  some  further  use  for  the 
splendid  equipment  although  at  the  time  the  406th  was  doing  almost  no  signal 
work.  Part  of  the  motor  equipment  was  transferred  to  divisions.  The  old 
three-ton  British  trucks  which  had  done  such  faithful  service  were  sent  to 
Dijon  for  general  overhauling  because  the  equipment  of  the  Battalion  and 
Corps  motor  shops  was  inadequate  to  do  the  work.  Lieutenant  Hasskarl 
piloted  the  trucks  to  Dijon.  While  he  was  negotiating  for  their  repair,  an 
officer  asked  who  had  brought  "that  bunch  of  junk"  into  the  yards.     Hass- 


"WHEN   DO    WE    GO    HOME?" 


249 


Bird's-eye  View  of  the  Show 


The  Four 
Prize  Winners 


Examining  Gruninger's  Grand 
Prize  Winner 


THE  HORSE  AND  MOTOR  SHOW 

karl's  explanation  did  not  satisfy  him.  He  called  for  a  Liberty  truck  and 
shoved  the  faithful  old  friends  one  by  one  off  the  road  into  a  salvage  dump  in 
the  field. 

By  order  of  General  Headquarters,  the  different  Corps  in  the  A.  E.  F. 
organized  horse  and  motor  shows.  Exhibitions  were  first  held  in  the  Divisions 
and  among  Corps  troops,  the  winners  in  these  smaller  shows  to  form  the  entries 
in  the  exhibitions  for  larger  units.  The  406th  still  possessed  four  types  of 
vehicles — cargo  trucks,  motorcycles,  light  passenger  cars  and  light  delivery 
cars.  The  best  vehicle  in  each  of  these  classes  received  a  careful  overhauling 
by  the  Battalion  shop  crews.  When  the  preliminaries  were  held,  the  four 
vehicles  entered  by  the  406th  were  selected  to  represent  the  Corps  in  the 
respective  classes. 

Early  in  February  the  Corps  Commander  appointed  Colonel  Bolles  as 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  in  charge  of  the  Motor  Show  for  the  First  Corps. 
The  Colonel  called  406th  Battalion  Headquarters  and  said  that  in  the  com- 
mittee which  he  was  forming  he  must  have  men  who  could  put  the  show  across. 


250 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Doyle  and  Gruninger  with  the  Prize  Packard 


Of  prime  importance  was  the  supply 
officer,  who  must  be  a  man  who  could 
collect  anything  that  was  necessary, 
whether  it  was  available  or  not  and 
who  could  in  a  pinch  make  a  harness 
from  a  piece  of  wire  off  a  bale  of  hay. 
The  Colonel  thought  that  the  only 
man  in  the  Corps  who  would  meas- 
ure up  to  these  requirements  was,  as 
he  called  him,  "Go-get-her"  Meigs. 
At  the  time  of  the  Colonel's  request, 
Meigs  who  had  been  fighting  a  very  bad  cold  had  submitted  to  Medical  Officer 
Macfarlan  and  had  gone  to  bed,  but  he  pulled  himself  together  and  for  the 
next  few  days  in  the  rain  and  mud,  supplies  were  corralled  from  all  parts  of 
the  territory.  Arrangements  were  made,  with  the  help  of  the  Corps  Engi- 
neer troop  and  the  entire  Telegraph  Battalion,  to  care  for  the  quarters  and 
feeding  of  700  men  and  200  horses  at  the  show.  On  the  evening  of  the  eighth 
the  weather  cleared  off 
and  became  very  cold  and 
the  temperature  remained 
just  below  the  freezing 
point. 

In  the  motor  section 
of  the  show,  the  four  ve- 
hicles entered  by  the  406th 
— Headquarters'  Dodge, 
Gruninger's  Packard 
truck,  Geib's  motorcycle 
and  Giles'  Ford  delivery 
car — captured  the  blue 
ribbons.  The  Corps  Com- 
mander, Major- General 
Wright,  paid  a  high  com- 
pliment to  the  motor  men 
of  the  Battalion  when  he 
declared  that,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  406th  the 
Corps  troops  would  have 
been  "out  in  the  cold." 

To  cap  the  climax, 
when  all  of  the  prize  win- 
ners were  lined  up  on  the 


uffloa  of  the  m.  1'.  u. 
HEADQUAETERS   PiBST   ABMT   CORi'S 
Amerioan  £•  V, 


•obruary  9,   1919, 

fROU:       U.  T,   u. 

TO:  C.   tu  406  Telegraph  Jiattalion. 

SUBJECT:   Motor  TraiiBportatlon. 

1.     The  Uonmandlng  General  of  the  First  Army  Oorpa 
desires  that   1  express  to   you  his  appreolatlon  for  the 
showing  made  by  the  motor  transportation  of  the  406  Tele- 
graph Battalion  at   the  Horse  and  transportation  show,  let 
Army  Corps,  Tonnerre,  February  8,  1919. 

}i.     He  18  not  only  delighted  with  the  aotiial  show 
condition  of  your  vehloles  and  of  the  fact  that  wllii  four 
entries  you  took  four   first  prizes,  but  with  the   faot  that 
the  condition  of  your  vehicles  shews  oloarly  that  aJ-1  of 
the  motor  transportation  assigned  to  ypux  unit  Is  kept  in 
the  best  possible  condition  at  all  times. 

3«     it  wouiu  have  been  impossible  to  have  made  the 
showing  that  you  did  unless  the  greatest  oare  had  been  tak- 
en at  alltlmes  to  keej)  your  transportation  in  the  best  of 
condition,  and  he  desires  that  you  express  to  the  drivers 
concerned  his  personal  gratifloation  for  the  efforts  and 
the  showing  which  they  have  made . 


A/S 


"WHEN   DO    WE   GO    HOME?"  251 

field  for  awarding  the  Grand  Prize,  interest  centered  on  the  i3^-ton  truck  driven 
by  Gruninger,  and  the  committee  of  judges  agreed  that  thistruck,  which  had  been 
assembled  by  Gruninger  at  St.  Nazaire  and  driven  by  him  21 ,000  miles  through 
all  of  the  campaigns  with  the  First  Corps,  was  the  best  entry  in  the  show. 
There  were,  however,  certain  lovers  of  horses  among  the  judges  who  could 
not  persuade  themselves  to  award  to  a  motor  truck  the  Grand  Prize  at  a  show 
in  which  horses  were  involved.  Gruninger  was  given  the  Grand  Prize  in  the 
motor  section  of  the  show  for  his  entry.  General  Wright  was  not  satisfied  to 
express  his  feelings  orally.  He  directed  the  Corps  Motor  Transport  Officer 
to  send  the  Battalion  a  letter  of  congratulation. 


Chapter  XXVI 
Hoffieward   Boii7id 


'HILE  the  Battalion  was  still  celebrating  its  success  in  the  First 
Corps  show,  new  cause  for  rejoicing  arose.  Orders  came  trans- 
ferring the  406th  to  the  Fifth  Corps.  The  pleasant  part  of  it  was 
that  the  Fifth  Corps  was  preparing  for  immediate  return  to  the  United  States. 
The  Headquarters  of  the  Fifth  Corps  were  then  at  Nougent-en-Baussigny, 
but  the  406th  was  to  remain  at  Tonnerre,  some  90  kilometers  to  the  west 
until  the  movement  toward  the  port  should  start.  With  the  transfer  orders 
came  a  complimentary  order  of  appreciation  from  the  Commander  of  the  First 
Army  Corps. 

When  the  first  intimation  was  received  that  there  was  possibility  of  the 
Battalion's  returning  to  the  United  States  in  the  near  future,  a  careful  review 
of  all  the  records  was  started.  During  the  month  of  February  Adjutant 
Green,  with  Magill  and  Mcllhenny  and  the  clerical  forces  of  the  Companies 
were  kept  busy  revising  and  reviewing  passenger  lists,  cantonment  lists  and 
records.  Just  in  the  midst  of  the  work  Green  was  taken  from  the  Bat- 
talion and  ordered  to  the  replacement  depot  at  Gondrecourt  and  Lieutenant 
Wright  was  transferred  from  "D"  Company  to  take  up  the  duties  of  Adjutant. 
Lieutenant  Pearson  disposed  of  all  ordnance  and  signal  equipment. 

Orders  for  the  disposition  of  the  motor  equipment  were  difficult  to  obtain. 
The  First  Corps  was  anxious  to  retain  under  its  control  the  four  Blue  Ribbon 

252 


HOMEWARD    BOUND 


253 


winners,  so  they  could  be  placed  in  the  1st  Army  Motor  show  with  the  First 
Corps  entries.  Approval  for  this  procedure  was  eventually  secured  from  Gen- 
eral Headquarters. 

In  the  meantime,  orders  had  been  issued  by  the  Fifth  Corps  that,  when  the 
westward  movement  started,  the  406th  would  proceed  by  motor  transport. 
The  departure  from  Tonnerre  was  scheduled  for  March  sixth.  To  prevent 
any  conflict  of  dates  the  prize-winning  motors  were  entered  in  the  Army  show 
at  Bar-sur-Aube  on  the  fifth.  At  this  show  the  Ford  delivery  car,  because  it 
had  had  very  little  use,  was  not  allowed  to  compete,  but  the  Dodge  car,  Geib's 
motorcycle  and  Gruninger's  truck  took  the  blue  ribbons  in  their  classes  and  in 
addition  Gruninger  again  walked  away  with  the  Grand  Prize. 

The  long  awaited  movement  toward  the  port  started  on  the  scheduled  day, 
and  at  noon  the  trucks  reached  Auxerre.  By  evening  the  train  had  success- 
fully covered  the  first  lap  of  the  journey  over  the  splendid  gravel  roads  and 
collected  at  Gien,  a  picturesque  old  town  on  the  River  Loire.  Many  French 
units  were  being  demobilized  in  the  town  and  consequently  all  available  billets 
were  occupied  by  French  soldiers.  It  was  due  only  to  the  kindness  and  interest 
of  the  French  artillery  officers  that  the  406th  was  able  to  obtain  quarters. 

Gien  was  the  home  of  Edouard  Thevelin  and  after  mess  several  of  the  men 
set  out  to  find  their  old  friend.  Edouard  had  contracted  a  severe  case  of  grippe 
and  was  at  his  home  slowly  recovering.  He  was  overjoyed  to  be  greeted  by 
his  former  comrades.  The  next  morning  most  of  the  men  found  opportunity 
to  visit  him  while  the  trucks  were  being  supplied  with  fuel.  He  was  living 
with  his  aged  father,  a  musician,  and  this  gentleman  with  his  long  white  hair 
and  gracious  manner  was  an  interesting  character.     As  the  men  left  to  return 


Gruninger's  Grand  Prize  Winner  Geib's  Motorcycle  Headquarters'  Dodge 

THREE    PRIZE    WINNERS    AT    THE    TOURS    SHOW 


254 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


to  their  trucks,  the  good  French  friends  stood  in  their  Httle  front  yard  waving 
their  hands  and  caHing  "Vive  I'Amerique!" 

The  trucks  were  halted  in  Orleans  at  noon  and  after  mess  the  men  had  an 
opportunity  to  look  around  the  old  city  before  continuing  to  Vendome.  This 
was  the  end  of  the  day's  journey  and  was  reached  early  in  the  afternoon,  but 
there  were  no  particularly  attractive  places  available  to  billet  a  battalion. 
A  regiment  of  American  cavalry  occupied  the  French  barracks  and  the  Signal 
men  were  directed  to  a  large  airdrome  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town.  When  the 
trucks  had  been  parked,  all  of  the  men  except  a  small  guard  were  dismissed 
until  the  next  morning  and  most  of  them  sought  quarters  for  the  night  in  the 
town. 

Before  the  Battalion  departed  from  Tonnerre  Captain  Hasskarl,  who  had 
recently  been  promoted  and  put  in  command  of  Company  "E,"  was  assigned 
to  the  Fifth  Corps  billeting  detail.  The  Battalion  passed  through  Le  Mans 
on    Saturday    afternoon,    Harris   having   been    posted    there  to   guide    the 


^^^^^^^^^^^fl^K^^^^^B^ 

^^^1 

^^bi^i^^^^Z^^PWs^ 

Srn^ 

Gien 


Courcelles 


^ 


HOMEWARD   BOUND  iss 

column  to  Courcelles,  the  town  which  Hasskarl  had  selected  for  the  406th. 
Courcelles  had  seen  few  Americans  and  the  Signal  men  were  welcomed  with 
enthusiasm.  Inspection  officers  arrived  from  Le  Mans  and  the  Battalion  with 
all  its  property  was  formed  in  the  park  of  the  small  chateau  in  which  Head- 
quarters had  been  established.  The  officers  and  noncoms  had  labored  earnestly 
to  have  this  an  orderly  inspection.  Every  article  was  in  its  proper  place  in 
front  of  each  man.  The  inspecting  officers  glanced  over  the  assembly  and 
remarked  that  this  was  the  most  orderly  and  the  most  nearly  complete  inspec- 
tion that  they  had  made  of  all  the  troops  which  had  passed  through  Le  Mans. 
The  following  day  the  Battalion  records  were  inspected  by  officials  from  the 
area  Headquarters,  and  again  a  100  per  cent  score  resulted.  Not  a  single 
change  was  ordered  in  the  passenger  lists,  cantonment  lists  and  soldiers' 
records. 

The  last  equipment  to  be  turned  over  were  the  trucks,  and  these  were 
delivered  to  Le  Mans  the  day  before  the  Battalion  left  Courcelles.  The 
officers  at  the  motor  center  were  so  pleased  with  the  condition  of  the  trucks — 
these  being  the  first  vehicles  turned  in  to  the  depot  in  usable  condition — that 
they  gladly  agreed  to  furnish  chauffeurs  so  that  three  trucks  could  be  retained 
at  Courcelles  to  haul  the  luggage  to  the  train.  The  Grand  Prize  winner  was 
one  of  the  three. 

Final  adjustment  of  charges  for  damage  to  billets  used  by  the  Battalion 
was  completed  and  on  the  morning  of  March  23rd,  the  406th  marched  up  the 
road  toward  La  Suze,  swinging  along  light-heartedly  and  appreciative  of  the 
fact  that  the  accommodating  officials  at  Le  Mans  had  allowed  the  use  of 
trucks  for  hauling  the  packs  to  the  train.  As  they  were  marching  along  the 
road  they  came  upon  Gruninger's  pet — the  prize  truck.  Where  the  road 
approached  a  sharp  curve  the  new  chaiiffeur  had  lost  control  and  the  truck 
landed  in  a  ditch.  It  had  been  with  the  Battalion  from  the  very  start  of 
its  labors  in  France.  It  had  seen  them  through  all  of  their  campaigns.  To 
bid  it  farewell  thus  was  not  conducive  of  light  hearts,  especially  among  the 
motor  men. 

At  La  Suze  a  long  train  made  up  of  American  army  box  cars  for  the  soldiers 
and  a  few  French  and  German  third-class  coaches  for  the  officers  was  waiting. 
This  was  the  first  time  that  the  406th  as  an  organization  traveled  in  box  cars, 
although  most  of  the  soldiers  in  France  at  one  time  or  another  experienced 
the  comforts  of  the  "Hommes  40  Chevaux  8."  Rumor  had  it  that  the  trip 
from  La  Suze  to  Brest  might  take  as  long  as  thirty  hours.  This  train  cut  the 
time  in  half.  It  left  La  Suze  at  four  in  the  afternoon,  sped  along  steadily 
through  driving  rain  and  reached  Brest  at  seven  the  following  morning. 

Upon  arriving,  the  organization  was  treated  to  its  first  example  of  the 
systematic  management  of  the  port  of  Brest.  The  men  were  directed  to  a 
large  kitchen  where  in  less  than  a  half  hour  all  of  the  Fifth  Corps  troops  were 


256 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


At  Brest 


fed.  And  it  was  a  good  feed  too.  Immediately  thereafter  they  swung  along 
on  their  way  up  the  hill  and  over  the  muddy  road  toward  Camp  Pontanazen. 
Colonel  Voris  was  waiting  in  Brest  to  return  to  the  States.  He  learned  that 
his  Battalion  had  arrived  and  he  lost  no  time  in  visiting  the  camp. 

This  time  Captain  Hasskarl's  efforts  to  obtain  quarters  in  advance  were  of 
no  avail.  No  billets  were  assigned  to  troops  until  they  actually  arrived  at  the 
camp.  The  system  was  well  organized  however,  and  before  long  the  men 
were  given  barracks.  The  report  was  general  that  it  was  the  aim  of  the 
authorities  to  have  each  organization  on  shipboard  not  later  than  four  days 
after  it  arrived  in  camp.  Major  Griest  with  Magill  who  was  again  acting  as 
Adjutant,  reported  to  Headquarters.  Reams  of  instructions  were  handed  to 
the  Major  and  an  officers'  conference  was  held  to  go  over  the  instructions  and 
see  just  what  work  was  to  be  done  before  final  inspection  could  be  asked. 
Tuesday  evening  two  new  lieutenants  arrived — "Bill"'  Brittain,  who  was 
assigned  to  his  old  Company,  and  Sonner  who  was   appointed  Adjutant. 

At  the  camp  everybody  was  rushed.  Every  outfit  in  the  camp  was  required 
to  furnish  large  details,  some  more  than  half  of  their  men,  to  carry  on  the  camp 
work.     The  huge  machinery  worked  with  fascinating  precision.     Late  on  the 


HOMEWARD    BOUND 


257 


twenty-seventh,  orders  were  received  that  the  final  inspection  would  be  held 
the  next  morning.  Every  one  was  astir  at  daylight  and  two  trial  inspections 
were  held  in  the  barracks.  Then  the  organization  reported  at  the  hall  and 
laid  out  its  equipment  which  was  in  perfect  condition.  The  speed  and  snap 
with  which  the  men  displayed  their  equipment  won  for  them  distinction,  the 
inspection  officer  noting  on  his  report.  "Grade — extra  excellent — no  short- 
ages." The  last  two  words  were  underscored.  The  pack  inspection  was 
scheduled  for  the  same  afternoon  and  as  soon  as  the  men  returned  to  their 
quarters  from  the  morning  inspection,  final  instructions  were  given  on  the 
make-up  of  the  pack.  Again  a  trial  inspection  was  held  before  reporting  at 
the  hall  and  this  time  as  the  men  of  the  406th  filed  by,  the  inspecting  officer 
put  on  his  report:  "Excellent  plus,"  and  he  underscored  the  "Excellent"  a 
half  dozen  times. 

All  of  the  records  and  passenger  lists  had  been  approved,  inspections  were 
over,  but  there  were  no  ships !  This  was  a  small  organization  and  could  prob- 
ably be  tucked  in  to  fill  a  boat  at  almost  any  time,  but  all  of  the  boats  avail- 
able had  been  used  in  an  endeavor  to  make  a  record  shipment  for  the  month  of 
March  and  to  entirely  clear  the  26th  Division,  whose  units  had  begun  arriving 
in  camp  the  day  before  the  406th  appeared. 


^^m^ 


Delousing  Machines 


258 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


During  this  wait  the  Major  received  disquieting  news  from  his  home  and 
after  thinking  the  matter  over  for  some  time,  he  explained  the  situation  to 
Colonel  Milliken  who  was  now  Signal  Officer  at  Brest.  The  Battalion  was 
ready  to  sail  but  a  ship  would  not  be  available  for  several  days.  Colonel 
Milliken  reported  these  facts  to  the  Chief  Signal  Officer  at  Tours  who  ordered 
Griest  released  for  immediate  embarkation  on  the  "Augusta  Victoria." 


On  Board  the     '  "^^ 
U.  S.  S.  "Seattle" 


Captain  Meigs  assumed  command  of  the  Battalion  on  the  fifth  of  April. 
Ever  since  the  arrival  at  Brest  he  had  been  haranguing  the  men  on  the  necessity 
of  being  absolutely  "louse  free."  Each  day  he  told  them  that  if  they  had  any 
suspicion  of  cooties  in  their  equipment  they  should  go  to  the  delousing  outfit 
and  go  through  the  "mill."  He  called  up  before  each  man  the  horror  of  being 
held  in  France  when  the  rest  of  the  Battalion  sailed  if  at  the  last  minute  even  a 


HOMEWARD    BOUND 


259 


single  cootie  should  be  discovered.  As  a  result  practically  every  man  had 
been  deloused  a  half  dozen  or  more  times. 

Meigs  had  a  beautiful  new  uniform.  Shining  buttons,  shoulder  bars, 
spurs,  fancy  belt,  'n  everything!  He  was  proud  of  it.  The  whole  Battalion 
was  proud  of  it.  But  horrible  to  relate,  a  cootie  was  discovered  on  the  new 
outfit.  It  is  said  that  this  was  the  only  cootie  actually  seen  in  the  entire 
Battalion  while  it  was  in  Brest.  The  men  had  gone  through  the  delousing 
process  for  "safety  first"  reasons.  Now  Meigs  and  his  wonderful  outfit  had 
to  be  deloused.  When  the  uniform  came  back  it  was  a  sight  to  behold.  Out 
of  shape,  shrunken,  wrinkled,  tarnished — nothing  could  have  done  it  more 
damage,  unless  the  Boche  had  gotten  hold  of  it  while  they  were  retreating 
out  of  the  Argonne.  Meigs  was  short  of  funds  because  of  his  investment  in 
the  uniform.  So  he  had  to  wear  it  as  it  was.  "The  coat  tail  was  in  the  middle 
of  my  back,  the  sleeves  were  up  to  my  elbows,  the  coat  was  tight  across  my 
chest,  the  breeches  would  have  split  if  I  had  leaned  over — the  Government 
owes  me  a  dam  good  uniform,"  was  his  comment.  Luckily  he  carried  a 
"spare"  which  he  kept  locked  up  for  use  upon  his  arrival  in  the  States. 

On  the  evening  of  the  seventh,  the  good  news  arrived  that  the  Battalion 
would  embark  on  the  "Seattle"  early  the  following  morning.  Lieutenant 
Schmidt  with  a  large  detail  was  dispatched  to  load  the  remaining  Fifth  Corps 
baggage.  The  men  who  had  been  on  various  duties  around  the  camp  were 
recalled  and  preparations  made  for  the  departure. 

On  the  morning  of  the  eighth  the  Battalion  continued  its  record  of  "firsts" 
when  it  was  the  first  to  turn  in  all  of  its  surplus  material  to  Camp  Headquarters, 
the  first  organization  to  leave  camp,  and  the  first  to  board  the  ship. 

Hardtack  presented  a  problem.  Mascots  were  not  allowed  on  the  trans- 
ports. But  Captain  Meigs  slipped  the  dog  underneath  his  coat  and  with  some 
help  from  one  of  the  sailors  on  the  "Seattle"  he  got  the  animal  aboard.     Once 


On  the  "Seattle' 


a6o  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

on  the  ship  Hardtack  was  sure  of  his  passage  home.  The  transport  pulled  out 
of  the  harbor  at  noon  on  the  eighth  and  the  headlands  which  shut  oflF  Brest 
gradually  melted  into  the  eastern  horizon. 

The  trip  homeward  was  filled  with  a  variety  of  duties  such  as  guard,  mess 
and  police.  On  the  second  day  out  there  was  a  call  for  eighty  volunteer 
stokers,  the  idea  being  that  with  additional  stokers  greater  speed  could  be 
made.  Of  the  first  eighty  to  volunteer,  sixty  were  from  the  406th.  During 
the  trip  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  of  the  Signal  men  assisted  in  firing  the 
boilers. 

On  the  "Seattle"  another  expert  was  discovered  in  the  Battalion.  Pember- 
ton  had  served  a  term  in  the  Navy.  On  the  "Seattle"  he  met  an  old  friend  in 
the  Chief  Engineer  of  the  vessel.  A  generator  had  been  out  of  service  for  three 
or  four  months  and  Pemberton  set  to  work  to  make  repairs.  His  success  at  this 
job  won  for  him  a  comfortable  room  in  the  quarters  of  the  Chief  Engineer  and 
his  reputation  for  versatility  was  maintained  to  the  last. 

The  voyage  continued  with  its  details  and  inspections,  interspersed  with 
moving  pictures  and  athletic  contests.  In  the  latter.  Ford  became  boxing 
champion  of  the  ship,  defeating  not  only  the  best  among  the  troops  but  the 
pick  of  the  Navy  personnel  as  well. 


■.'& 


Chapter  XXVII 


From  Khaki  to  ^''Civics'''' 


\ELIGIOUS  service  aboard  the  "Seattle"  had  just  been  completed  on 
Easter  morning  when  the  boat  entered  New  York  harbor  and  the  build- 
ings of  Manhattan  became  visible.  The  westward  bound  home  seekers, 
who  had  left  New  York — then  "an  Atlantic  Port" — twenty  months  before, 
hung  eagerly  over  the  rail  straining  their  eyes  for  familiar  sights.  It  is  need- 
less to  discuss  the  thoughts  in  their  minds  as  they  sailed  up  the  harbor  past 
the  famous  lady  on  Bedloe's  Island.  The  vessel  neared  the  pier  in  Hoboken 
and  familiar  faces  were  seen  on  the  dock,  among  them  Colonel  Hubbell  who 
was  now  out  of  uniform. 

As  the  men  landed,  the  Red  Cross  treated  them  to  mess  while  Captain 
Meigs  set  out  to  locate  somebody  in  authority.  Easter  apparently  was  a 
military  holiday  and  there  were  no  officers  at  the  pier.  Meigs  managed  to 
learn  that  the  Battalion  was  scheduled  for  Camp  Upton.  Spying  a  ferryboat 
which  was  approaching  the  pier,  he  connived  with  its  Captain  to  carry  the 
Battalion  to  Long  Island. 

At  Long  Island  City,  the  boat  was  met  by  an  officer  who  was  awaiting 
the  arrival  of  the  406th  "Labor"  Battalion.  During  active  service  in  France, 
the  men  frequently  contended  that  "Telegraph"  Battalion  was  a  misnomer 
and  that  "Labor"  Battalion  was  a  far  more  appropriate  name.  So  the 
officer  was  not  so  far  from  the  truth.  Once  more  there  were  Red  Cross  repre- 
sentatives present  to  distribute  chocolate  and  other  delicacies  while  the  Army 

261 


26a 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


representatives  directed  the  men  to  waiting  trains  with  the  information  that 
a  hot  meal  would  be  furnished  them  upon  their  arrival  at  Camp  Upton. 

It  was  almost  midnight  when  the  Battalion  arrived  at  the  barracks  which 
had  been  assigned  to  the  organization.     Here  there  was  a  pile  of  uncooked 


On  the  Pier 


rations  which  had  been  dumped  on  the  floor  but  there  was  no  stove,  no  fire, 
no  cook.  The  men  had  had  no  substantial  food  since  the  forenoon  and  the 
Battalion  cooks  went  to  work  to  prepare  a  meal.  Meanwhile  an  artillery- 
organization  which  by  some  error  had  been  assigned  to  the  same  quarters 
arrived.  The  attack  was  repulsed.  But  when  the  food  was  ready  the  artillery 
men  were  invited  to  help  dispose  of  it. 

The  next  day  saw  a  round  of  inspections  and  the  men  were  reequipped. 
Cantonment  lists  and  other  Battalion  records  were  checked  and  rechecked  by 
Magill  and  his  Headquarters  detachment  and  the  clerical  forces  of  the  Com- 
panies. After  three  days  the  journey  to  Camp  Dix  began.  Captain  Meigs 
used  his  powers  of  persuasion  to  secure  special  cars  for  the  organization  as 
regular  trains  required  several  transfers  en  route. 

Another  long  round  of  inspections  was  started  at  Camp  Dix  on  the  twenty- 
fourth.  All  of  the  records  were  turned  in  to  Camp  Headquarters  and  the 
officers  and  soldiers  became  casuals.  Again  the  careful  work  of  the  Bat- 
talion's clerical  staff  was  apparent  when  the  Major  in  charge  of  the  demobiliza- 


FROM   KHAKI    TO    "CIVIES 


'63 


tion  declared  that  this  was  the  best  set  of  records  turned  in  by  any  organization 
which  had  passed  through  that  center. 

Captain  Meigs  had  been  expending  his  energy  in  trying  to  keep  the  de- 
mobilization wheels  turning  and  the  men  properly  cared  for.  The  Captain 
worked  himself  to  such  a  point  of  exhaustion  that  he  became  ill  and  his  condi- 
tion was  so  serious  that  Captain  Macfarlan,  in  consultation  with  the  camp 
physicians,  ordered  him  to  the  hospital  for  an  operation.  Meigs  submitted  to 
the  decree,  disappointed  at  the  thought  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  accom- 
pany the  Battalion  during  its  two  or  three  remaining  days  of  service. 

A  reception  in  Philadelphia  was  scheduled  for  the  twenty-fifth.  From  the 
time  the  Battalion  left  Courcelles  there  had  been  little  opportunity  for  drill. 
Three  of  the  officers,  Schmidt,  Pearson  and  Sonner,  had  been  detained  for  dis- 
charge at  Camp  Upton.  It  fell  upon  Captain  Hasskarl  to  take  the  Battalion 
to  Philadelphia  and  throughout  the  morning  he  with  Macfarlan  and  Brittain 
conducted  a  vigorous  drill  at  the  camp  so  that  the  men  would  be  ready  for  the 
afternoon  exercises. 

Special  trains  and  trolleys  delivered  the  organization  at  Broad  and  South 
Streets,  Philadelphia.     The  men  were  formed  and  marched  around  City  Hall 


The  Return 


i;^^-:;'fi.,H?6«!KS!i5 


THE    REVIEW   AT    BELL    PARKWAY    BUILDING 


FROM    KHAKI    TO    "CIFIES"  265 

and  out  the  Parkway  to  the  Bell  Telephone  building — Hardtack  proudly  ac- 
companying the  column  as  one  of  its  distinguished  members.  The  sidewalks 
were  lined  with  relatives  and  friends  who  cheered  the  seasoned  veterans  as 
they  swung  along  in  true  military  style. 

The  Battalion  passed  in  review  before  a  party  in  which  were  General  Saltz- 
man  representing  the  Chief  Signal  Officer  of  the  Army,  Mr.  Bethell  then 
President,  and  Mr.  Kinnard  then  Vice-President  and  General  Manager  of  the 
Telephone  Company,  and  formed  in  Hne  before  the  Bell  building.  The  day 
had  been  cloudy  and  when  the  formal  review  was  completed  the  snow  was 
driving  down  the  street  in  a  gale.  The  standards  and  guidons  which  had  been 
carried  through  the  entire  service  in  France  were  returned  at  this  formation. 
The  color  guard  advanced  and  as  the  men  stood  at  salute  the  band  played  the 
National  Anthem.  At  the  first  note  word  was  flashed  through  the  operating 
rooms  in  the  Bell  Parkway  Building  and  the  operators  rose  from  their  chairs 
and  remained  standing  until  the  last  notes  had  died  out.  When  the  music 
ceased,  Captain  Hasskarl  taking  the  standards  from  the  color  guard,  returned 
them  one  by  one  to  Mr.  Kinnard.     Accepting  them  Mr.  Kinnard  spoke: 

"Men  of  the  406th,  our  own  BattaHon: 

"It  is  a  high  honor  you  confer  by  placing  in  our  keeping  your 
guidons,  your  standard,  your  flag. 

"What  was  mere  equipment  when  you  received  it  has  been  made 
sacred  by  association  with  you  in  a  glorious  service. 

"Your  fidelity  and  the  excellence  of  your  accomplishments  have 
more  than  justified  our  confidence  and  realized  for  us  our  most 
ambitious  hopes. 

"These  symbols  of  your  now  famous  organization  will  be  cher- 
ished, reverenced  and  displayed,  so  that  we  may  be  not  unmindful 
of  the  great  unselfishness  of  you  and  your  fellows,  that  the  world 
might  be  purged  of  the  fearful  things  that  threatened  civilization. 

"You  bring  to  us  high  honor.  We  accept  the  custody  of  your 
battle  flags  and  give  you  assurance  of  our  respect,  our  pride,  our  grati- 
tude, our  affection." 

The  section  of  the  Parkway  between  i6th  and  17th  Streets  was  roped  off 
during  the  ceremony  and  now  the  police  lowered  the  ropes  that  hemmed  in 
the  crowd  on  the  pavements  and  the  soldiers  simultaneously  broke  ranks.  Then 
what  a  happy  bedlam!  The  soldier  boys  scattered  pell-mell  across  the  Park- 
way— for  each  had  picked  from  the  comer  of  his  eye  the  place  where  his  dear 
ones  were  standing.  And  they,  not  content  to  wait,  rushed  forward.  The  flurry 
of  snowflakes  driven  furiously  downward  fell  upon  the  reunited  groups,  but 
the  unbounded  joy  of  greeting  proved  the  futility  of  the  elements'  attempt  to 
dampen  spirits. 

Some  girls  were  not  quite  sure  at  first  that  they  were  kissing  the  right 
soldier  and  some  of  the  boys  admitted  that  they  kissed  the  wrong  girl.     A 


266 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


Returning  the  Standards  and  Guidons 


mother  hugged  somebody  else's  son — but,  well,  she  shifted  into  her  own  son's 
arms  so  quickly  that  she  scarcely  knew  the  difference.  Tears  streamed  down 
faces  that  were  at  the  same  time  wrinkled  with  smiles.  A  soldier's  father 
burst  into  tears  when  he  saw  his  boy.  Returning  fathers  clasped  wife  and 
baby  in  one  fond  embrace — a  baby  perhaps  that  they  had  never  seen  before. 
One  daddy's  little  girl  didn't  know  her  father,  but  she  soon  found  out  who  he 
was.  Sergeant  Coates'  daughter  will  always  know  him  now,  and  she'll  be 
mighty  proud  of  him,  too. 

All  too  soon  assembly  sounded  on  the  bugles  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
406th  was  marching  toward  Scottish  Rite  Hall  on  North  Broad  Street,  fol- 
lowed by  admiring  relatives  and  friends.     Before  the  hall  they  broke  ranks 


FROM   KHAKI    TO    "CIFIES"  267 

and  joined  home  folks  once  again  and  for  almost  an  hour  chatted  and  em- 
braced and  tried  to  make  up  for  the  months  gone  by. 

At  five  o'clock  the  crowd  moved  to  the  banquet  room.  A  number  of  large 
place  cards  told  everyone  where  to  sit  if  they  chose  to  be  with  the  most  of 
their  friends.  "Jim"  Repplier,  Chairman  of  the  General  Committee  for 
arranging  affairs,  with  a  few  brief  remarks  turned  the  ceremony  over  to  Mr. 
Kinnard  who  called  upon  the  Rev.  Dr.  William  M.  Auld  to  deliver  the  invoca- 
tion. Mr.  Kinnard  next  called  the  assembly  to  its  feet  and  proposed  a  toast 
to  Private  Hollowell  and  Major  Glaspey,  who  gave  their  lives  to  their  country 
over  there.     He  said:    "Borrowing  the  words  of  the  Persian  astronomer-poet: 

"  'And  when,  like  her,  O  Saki,  you  shall  pass 
Among  the  guests  star-scattered  on  the  grass. 
And  in  your  joyous  errand  reach  the  spot 
Where  I  made  one,  turn  down  an  empty  glass.' 

"Private  John  J.  Hollowell,  killed  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties 
near  Neuf chateau,  February  11,  191 8. 

"Major  Rexford  Mason  Glaspey,  died  of  pneumonia  on  November 
5,  1918,  at  Base  Hospital  51. 

"God  grant  that  when  taps  are  blown  for  us  we  may  have  merited 
in  part  the  great  respect  their  supreme  sacrifice  commands." 

Mr.  Kinnard,  with  a  dramatic  gesture,  brought  an  empty  glass  downward 
on  the  table;  the  crash  resounded  throughout  the  hall.  The  banqueters  stood 
for  a  moment  in  silence  and  then,  all  as  one,  resumed  their  seats. 

They  fell  to  their  "chow,"  and  an  occasional  song  either  by  professional 
singers  or  better  still,  by  the  revelers  themselves,  added  a  zest  to  the  excep- 
tionally fine  food  that  the  committee  had  provided. 

Speeches  were  now  in  order.  Mr.  Kinnard  as  toastmaster,  first  introduced 
President  F.  H.  Bethell  who,  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  occasion,  said  that 
he  had  no  voice  to  express  his  gratitude  at  being  able  to  attend  the  dinner. 
And  he  assured  the  boys — every  bloomin'  one — that  their  jobs  were  all 
dusted  off  and  waiting  for  them  just  as  soon  as  they  finished  celebrating  and 
wanted  to  return.     The  response  to  this  announcement  was  deafening. 

General  Saltzman,  Executive  Officer  to  General  Squier  and  representing 
him  at  the  dinner,  spoke  next  and  said  among  other  things:  "Records  show 
that  your  Battalion  had  more  active  service  than  any  other  similar  battalion 
in  France.  It  is  also  a  matter  of  record  that  General  Foch  remarked  he  would 
rather  ride  five  miles  to  an  American  telephone  than  use  a  French  one." 

So  that  every  one  might  see  them,  the  three  men  who  were  first  cited  for 
bravery — Gallo,  Grindel  and  McKay — were  asked  by  Colonel  Hubbell,  who 
next  addressed  the  gathering,  to  stand  up.  Major  Griest  succeeded  him  on 
the  floor  and  then  Captain  Hasskarl  who,  too  hoarse  to  speak  smiled  an 


268 


THE   FIRST   BATTALION 


affable  smile  that  spoke  worlds  of  things.  Captain  Macfarlan  was  next  and 
he  took  back  to  camp  a  hearty  testimony  to  Captain  Meigs — for  everybody 
was  sorry  that  the  Battalion's  popular  Commander  was  indisposed.  Captain 
Macfarlan  assured  the  gathering  that  he  was  not  seriously  ill  however,  and 
that  he  felt  worse  about  not  being  able  to  come  to  the  dinner  than  about  being  ill. 


The  Philadelphia  Party 


Colonel  Voris  was  invited  but  could  not  attend.  The  men  of  the  Battalion 
had  a  deep  feeling  for  the  "Old  Man,"  and  appreciated  the  sentiment  which 
he  expressed  in  the  following  letter  to  Mr.  Kinnard : 

"I  deeply  regret  that  I  did  not  receive  your  kind  invitation  to 
attend  the  reception  given  by  the  employees  of  your  Company  to 
the  406th  Telegraph  Battalion  in  time  to  thank  you  and  write  you  in 
praise  of  the  Battalion,  for  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  attend  and 
sing  their  achievements  in  person. 

"I  fear  the  deeds  of  the  Battalion  went  unpraised,  and  I  regret 
it.  They  served  in  the  First  Army  Corps  from  February  to  Novem- 
ber last  year  through  the  three  big  engagements  participated  in  by 
the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  in  France,  and  I  know  the  diffi- 
culties under  which  they  worked,  and  I  know  the  willingness,  the 
intelligence  and  the  efficiency  displayed  by  each  and  every  member  of 
that  organization. 

"The  several  Bell  Companies  furnished  a  number  of  Telegraph 
Battalions,  and  every  one  of  them  'delivered  the  goods'  in  every  way, 
but  none  of  the  other  Battalions  had  the  opportunities  of  the  406th 
in  varied  service,  such  as  heavy  commercial  construction  and  main- 
tenance in  the  back  areas,  and  later  the  'rough  and  ready'  construe- 


Major  James  W.  Hubbell 
(later  Lieutenant-Colonel) 


Major  William  P.  Wattles 


Major  Thomas  H.  Griest  Captain  Fielding  P.  Meigs 

THE    COMMANDERS    OF    THE    BATTALION 

36S 


ii.  ,i.  iM.ii  *,  lii-ii  fii 


AT      C  A^ 


370 


UPTON 


371 


ROSTER 

40GTH  TELEGRAPH   BATTALION— SIGNAL  CORPS,   U.  S.  A. 

April  20,  1919 
CAPTAIN  FIELDING  P   MEIGS.  Commanding 


HEADQUARTERS 

Isl   LiKUr.   KUWIN    P    SONVER, 

Adjutdnt 
Sergeant,  Isl  Class,  Robert  W.  Magill 
Sergeant  Percy  R.  Fonnan 
Sergeant  E.  V.  Mcllhenny 
Chaufieur,  Isl  Class,  Henry  W   Taylor 
Cook  Albert  L.  Custer 
Private  Merritt  VV.  DcVoe 
Private  Charles  A.  Slocum 


SUPPLY 
1st  LiEUi.  John  M.  Pearson, 
Supply  Officer 
Sergeant,  Isi  Class,  Jerome  M.  Hamilton 
Corporal  George  B.  Howell 
Chauffeur,  Isl  Class,  Charles  E.  Althouse 
Cli:mffeur  Benjamin  S.  Thorp,  Jr. 
Private,  1st  Class,  Arthur  A.  Bennett 
Private,  1st  Class,  Alonzo  M.  Fuller 


MEDICAL 
Capt,  Douglas  Macfarlan, 
Medical  Officer 
Sergeant,  1st  Class,  John  A.  Brown 
Private,  1st  Class,  John  Boyd 
Private,  1st  Class,  Bert  W.  Geldard 
Private,  1st  Class,  John  Lister 
Private  Jess  L,  Dilley 
Private  Alfred  W   Teufel 


COMPANY  "D" 

1st  Lieut.  William  W.  BrittaiW 


COMPANY  "  E  " 

Capt.  Victor  L.  C.  Hasskarl 
1st  Lieut.  Benjamin  Schmidt 


Henry  11.  Cowan 


MASTER  SIGNAL  ELECTRICL^NS 
Calvin  E.  Miller  Walter  J.  Gretzler 


Dolph  T.  McKay 


Martin  U.  Huehlcr,  sn 
Harry  Jenst-n 
Robert  I.  Urffer 
George  D.  Woodward 


SERGEANTS— FIRST  CLASS 
Albert  Coates  Leon  O.  Bailey 

Walter  W.  Ryno  Charles  W.  Danley 

Allwrt  S.  Spears  Carl  Huckelberry 

Harry  C.  Viclc  Clarence  M.  Hutchinson 


Herman  A.  Bohn 
David  McC.  Hackett,  2nd 
John  D.  McAnallen 
Edward  H.  Mumford 


George  A    Donbaugh 
Edward  T,  Mannam 
Paul  R,  Knight 
John  Miller 
Ray  C.  Tritle 


SERGEANTS 


Harry  W.  Favinger 
William  Heisler 
William  E.  Long 
Walter  L.  PemlxTton 
John  E.  Twohig 


Edward  J.  Cavanagh 
Jesse  A,  Gaghagen 
Hiram  V.  Lindley 
Frederick  Maloney 
Frank  B.  Westfall 


Wallie  Davis 
John  F.  Klingensmith 
John  B.  Lynch 
Clarence  B.  Vanra 


CORPORALS 

Harry  O.  Carlson  Leo  F.  Confoy  George  A.  Beck  William  J.  Beck 

Robert  Craigmile  William  J.  B.  Daniels  Clifford  H.  Drew  John  A.  Dwyer 

Jeflerson  Davis  Harry  F.  Devlin  Ephraim  McC.  Echard  Tony  Gallo 

James  M.  Forwood  Duncan  J.  Grant  William  T.  Grimm  Henry  C.  Lander 

Walter  B.  Ilaislop  Hubert  Harris  Harry  A.  Lowstetter  OIlie  H.  McKinney 

William  J,  Kelly  Myrl  K.  Miller  Timothy  J.  Manix  Myles  M.  Morcom 

John  E.  Noone  Horace  B.  Welk  Ernest  Richards  Clyde  L.  Russell 

Frederick  H.  Stevens  Roy  Seybert 


Richard  Doyle 
John  Gruningcr,  Jr. 


CHAUFFEURS— FIRST  CLASS 
John  V.  Engstrom  Joseph  C.  Gaus 

Ralph  E.  Mance 


Leif  H.  Hallgren 
Glen  Sabring 


John  D,  Armstrong 
William  Dobbie 

{ohn  H.  Graham,  Jr. 
rving  S,  Kreiiler 
Semon  H.  Whitlock 


CHAUFFEURS 

John  J.  Conway 

Chauncey  B.  Fullerton  Howard  E.  Giles 

Frank  E.  Huss  Ford  Lobaugh 

William  Smith  Ralph  C.  Rauenswinder 

Leo  F,  Shaffer 


Joseph  E.  Burns 
Ho        


Willard  F.  Geib 
Howard  F.  Henk 
Alfred  E.  McCann 
Chauncey  McCann 
Fred  J.  Schmitt 


HORSESHOER 

William  Robinson 


Howard  C.  Bolt 


Williard  W.  Dailey 


William  C.  Geddling 


John  A.  Johnson 


Wendell  F,  Adams 
James  Alfieri 
Samuel  j.  Bigham 
Patrick  F   Canavan 
James  F.  Cannon,  Jr. 
George  F,  Fennel! 
John  A.  Hall 
Ernest  Heyman 
Herbert  \V.  Jones 
Christopher  Kilen 

John  McC.  Koser 
oseph  T.  Lord 
John  G.  McFarland 
Fred  J.  Maurada 
Allan  M.  Peterson 
William  C.  Simmers 
Edmond  J.  Speitel 
Gino  D.  Tomaso 
John  Walker 
Charles  H.  Whipple 


PRIVATES 
Charles  E.  Alber 
Albert  Banholzer 
William  G.  Callahan 
Olan  R.  Dennis 
John  J.  Ford 
Arno  E.  Herzer 
George  W.  Hoffman 
John  C.  H.  Kiehl 
Edward  H.  Kissenger 
William  J.  Lester,  jr. 
John  E.  Lyons 
Harold  G.  Marr 
William  L  Oyler 
Donald  M.  Shute 
Harry  L..  Spangler 
William  J.  Terncson 
Thomas  Tomlinson 
Leopold  C.  Walkup 
Charles  S.  Worrell 


William  J.  Adams 
Carl  W.  Bielstein 
James  H.  Blaisdell 
Patrick  J.  Callahan 
George  A.  Farda 
Charles  J.  Green 
George  E.  Guenther 
Paul  A.  J.  Henry 
Frank  Nf.  Hull 
Jacob  Kline 
Archie  L.  Lewis 
Raymond  J.  McDonald 
Almon  D.  McKay 
Edward  P.  Mohr 
Edwin  L.  Petersen 
Raymond  N.  Poole 
Francis  C.  Riley 
Matthew  R.  Robinson 
Charles  Seymour 
John  Shinfessel 
Reason  O.  Swearingen 
Miller  Williams 
Clarence  E.  Yeckel 


Raphael  C.  Barto 
Earl  Bissett 
William  J.  Bogner 
Richard  J.  Curley 
August  J.  Fest 
Joseph  J.  Grindel 
Leiand  F.  Guiles 
Thomas  E.  Hoover 
Harold  M.  King 
Charles  L.  Lea^ure 
Earl  A.  Logsdon 
John  J.  McDonell 
John  L.  McKinney 
Emmett  E.  Moss 
William  C.  PfeSerle 
George  D.  Reid 
Vincent  P.  Roach 
John  D.  Ross 
Alvin  C.  Sherrill 
William  T.  Smith 
Leslie  E,  Thompson 
Michael  F.  Tormey 
Bernard  H.  Wrede 


272 


FROM   KHAKI    TO    "CIVIES"  273 


tion  and  operation  of  field  lines  under  fire  near  the  firing  line.  I 
was  acquainted  with  several  of  these  battalions  and  their  work, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  we  could  have  gotten  along  without 
them;  but  I  know  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  have  gotten  along 
without  the  BattaUon  so  generously  furnished  and  subsidized  by  The 
Bell  Telephone  Company  of  Pennsylvania.  This  is  the  general 
feeling  of  the  Staff  Officers  of  the  First  Army  Corps,  American  Expedi- 
tionary Forces." 

Out  on  the  banquet  floor  sat  Chauffeur  Gruninger  (the  best  chauffeur  in 
the  army,  'tis  said),  and  Mr.  Kinnard  asked  him  to  say  a  few  words.  Then 
Corporal  Drew  of  Company  "E,"  Sergeant  Buehler  of  Company  "D,"  and 
Lieutenants  Price  and  Dickson  were  called  on.  Sergeant  Urffer  told  how  the 
war  made  him  perfectly  at  home  with  the  boys — but  well,  he'd  have  to  get 
used  to  his  old  American  ways  again.  He  expressed  the  sentiment  of 
every  one  in  the  crowd  whose  hands  and  ways  were  a  trifle  hardened  by 
vigorous  campaigning.  Lieutenant  Murdaugh  arrived  at  the  dinner  quite 
late.  He  sailed  after  the  Battalion  had  left  and  reached  America  but  a  few 
hours  before  the  big  party  was  scheduled.  He  got  there  just  the  same,  to 
the  great  delight  of  his  '  'bunkies, ' '  for  they  had  not  seen  him  since  he  won  his  bars. 

"I'm  damn  glad  to  be  here,"  said  Lieutenant  Brittain  when  it  was  his  turn 
to  speak,  "and  I  hope  you'll  pardon  my  French,  for  I  learned  it  over  there." 
He  proposed  three  cheers  for  Mr.  Kinnard  that  were  given  with  a  hearty  gusto, 
and  the  speaking  ended  with  a  few  words  from  Sergeant  Major  Magill. 

The  Battalion  was  scheduled  to  return  to  Camp  Dix  on  the  nine  o'clock 
train,  so  the  meeting  necessarily  broke  up  all  too  soon.  Happy  at  the  reunion 
and  happy  at  the  sincerity  of  Mr.  Kinnard's  parting  words — "Just  as  soon  as 
you're  through  jollifying,  come  back  to  us" — the  boys  bade  their  folks  farewell. 
They  formed  in  line  outside  Scottish  Rite  Hall  and  went  to  their  bunks  in  the 
Camp  Dix  barracks,  every  tongue  praising  the  affair  that  was  tendered  them. 

The  next  day,  April  26th,  the  406th  Telegraph  Battalion  was  mustered  out 
and  ceased  to  exist  as  a  military  organization.  On  that  day  it  passed  into 
history.     It  was  almost  to  the  day,  two  years  after  the  men  had  been  sworn  in. 

There  was  a  party  for  Company  "E"  in  Pittsburgh  a  week  later — May 
third.  About  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  crowd  began  to  gather  in  the  lobby 
of  the  Grant  Building,  attracted  by  the  Welcome  Home  signs  and  the  presence 
of  Hardtack,  the  mascot  who  was  in  charge  of  his  bodyguard,  Chauffeur  L.  H. 
Hallgren.  Hardtack  sniffed  disdainfully  at  the  bevy  of  admiring  young 
women  surrounding  him,  but  when  one  most  thoughtful  friend,  remembering 
the  common  failing  of  man  and  beast,  produced  various  kinds  of  dog  dainties, 
he  very  willingly  unbent  and  speedily  demolished  the  proffered  food.  This 
was  only  the  beginning  of  a  memorable  day  for  Company  "E's"  mascot,  who 
bore  all  the  honors  heaped  upon  him  with  characteristic  soldier  calm. 


THE    HOMECOMING    OF    COMPANY 

274 


FROM   KHAKI    TO    "CIFIES" 


275 


Captain  Victor  L.  C.  Hasskarl 


A  parade  was  scheduled  for  4  P.  M. 
but  long  before  that  hour  the  clans  be- 
gan to  gather.  Members  of  Company 
"E"  from  out  of  town  points  brought 
their  relatives  and  friends  who  helped 
to  swell  the  crowd.  Parade  Chairman 
"Charlie"  Lehmann  had  made  complete 
arrangements  with  the  "weather  man" 
for  good  weather;  and  to  prove  that 
he  was  no  slacker  Old  Sol  was  out  in  all 
his  glory,  smiling  broadly  upon  the 
throng.  At  about  3 :30,  Top  Sergeant 
Hackett  blew  his  whistle  for  the  line- 
up. From  the  lack  of  speed  with  which 
the  boys  came  to  attention  it  seemed 
that  at  the  moment  they  were  more 
interested  in  hearing  what  "she"  was 
saying,  or  relating  some  hair-raising 
experience  to  some  buddy  who  stayed 
at  home,  than  in  getting  ready  for  the 
parade.  After  the  usual  preparatory 
hustle  and  bustle  the  parade  was  formed  and  it  moved  out  promptly  at  the 
hour  set. 

Though  wearing  their  red  chevrons  denoting  discharge  from  the  service 
of  Uncle  Sam,  the  boys  had  lost  none  of  their  soldierly  bearing  and  the  crowds 
along  the  route  of  the  parade  were  unsparing  in  their  admiration  and  applause. 
Behind  the  overseas  veterans  came  two  trucks  filled  with  girls  of  the  Telephone 
Company  and  friends  of  Company  "E."  The  trucks  were  emblazoned  with 
placards  giving  the  record  of  Company  "E's"  achievements  overseas,  the 
second  one  carrying  Hardtack  who  took  the  cheers  and  the  noise  with  the 
composure  of  a  veteran.  Following  the  trucks  came  the  male  employees  of 
the  Company.  There  were  floats  of  the  Liberty  Loan  Committee  two  of 
which  bore  machine  guns  which  kept  up  a  continual  rat-tat-tat.  The  route 
was  over  the  principal  streets  of  the  city  through  packed  lanes  of  humanity. 
The  reviewing  stand  at  the  City-County  Building  was  the  terminus  of  the 
parade.  Here  Mayor  Babcock  spoke  to  the  men,  welcoming  them  in  the  name 
of  the  City  of  Pittsburgh: 

"Pittsburgh  is  proud  of  its  boys  who  served  in  the  World  War. 
There  is  nothing  too  good  for  them  and  we  of  this  great  city  are  wait- 
ing for  them  with  open  arms.  I  congratulate  you  on  the  wonderful 
record  you  made  in  France,  for  in  honoring  yourselves  by  your  service 
in  France,  you  also  honored  the  city  which  sent  you.     I  also  wish  to 


276 


THE    FIRST   BATTALION 


congratulate  the  great  corporation  which  was  instrumental  in  your 
organization  and  which,  as  your  employer,  has  watched  over  you 
during  your  travels  overseas,  and  now  seeks  to  make  your  home- 
coming an  event  which  will  live  long  in  your  memories. 

'Coming  over  here,  I  was  talking  with  one  of  your  ofificials  who 
had  journeyed  all  the  way  from  Philadelphia  to  be  present  at  this 
celebration,  and  I  asked  him  how  it  happened  that  he  was  here.  His 
reply  was  conclusive:  'I  had  to  come.  I  simply  could  not  remain 
at  home  when  a  reception  like  this  was  being  given  our  boys  in  Pitts- 
burgh; my  place  was  here.'  This  answer  is  an  indication  of  the 
love  for  you  which  is  in  the  hearts  of  your  countrymen.  We  are  all 
mighty  glad  to  have  you  back  safe  and  sound.     God  bless  you  all!" 

At  seven  o'clock  the  assemblage  moved  to  the  banquet  hall.  All  the  civil- 
ians were  seated  at  the  tables  when  the  boys  marched  in  to  the  tune  of  "When 
Johnny  Comes  Marching  Home."  They  lined  up  in  front  of  the  speaker's 
table,  stood  at  attention  while  "the  Star-Spangled  Banner"  was  played  and 
after  a  few  words  of  welcome  spoken  by  J.  K.  Martin,  General  Chairman  of 
the  Committee,  they  broke  ranks  and  threaded  through  the  aisles  to  find  the 
places  reserved  for  them  among  their  own  particular  friends. 

The  blessing  was  asked  by  Mr.  Lehmann.     Then  the  "mess  signal"  was 


The  Harrisburg  Dinner 


blown  by  Bugler  Fest  after  which  all  "fell  to"  and  did  justice  to  the  viands 
which  ha4  been  provided.  During  the  dinner,  a  "jazz  band,"  a  male  sextet, 
and  other  entertainers  made  the  hall  ring  with  music  and  merriment.  All 
the  popular  songs,  new  and  old,  were  sung  even  to  Mr.  Badger's  favorite 
"Bashful  Emma." 


FROM    KHAKI    TO    '' CI  V I  E  S  "  277 

After  the  "eats,"  Mr.  Badger  who  had  been  known  throughout  the  Pitts- 
burgh Division  as  "the  Daddy  of  Company  'E',"  was  asked  to  act  as  toast- 
master. 

He  called  on  Mr.  Kinnard,  who  explained  that  this  was  the  first  real  oppor- 
tunity he  had  found  to  talk  to  the  boys;  on  the  Parkway  the  wind  had  made 
short  work  of  any  efforts  to  make  a  speech.  He  spoke  of  the  anxiety  he  felt 
during  all  the  time  the  men  were  overseas,  feeling  in  a  measure,  a  personal 
responsibility  for  their  welfare.  He  told  of  the  pride  which  he  felt  because  of 
their  wonderful  record  in  France  and  extended  a  welcome  on  behalf  of  the 
entire  telephone  organization.  Mr.  Stryker  spoke  of  the  excitement  he  experi- 
enced when  news  of  the  Battalion's  embarkation  was  received  and  related  the 
story  of  his  stratagem  in  gaining  admission  to  the  pier  where  the  "Seattle" 
docked.  Mr.  Lynch  told  of  the  deep  interest  taken  in  the  boys  by  the  women 
members  of  the  Bell  organization,  his  story  of  the  ovation  given  them  in 
Philadelphia  being  particularly  touching.  Mr.  Kilpatrick  and  Mr.  Henderson 
extended  the  welcome  of  the  Engineering  and  Commercial  Departments, 
expressing  to  the  boys  the  pleasure  they  and  their  fellow  workers  felt  at  their 
safe  return. 

Captain  Hasskarl  was  still  in  the  grip  of  a  cold,  so  Mr.  Martin  expressed 
for  him  the  pleasure  he  enjoyed  at  being  associated  with  the  men  of  Company 
"E."  ".  .  .  a  finer  set  of  men  he  never  met ;  the  memory  of  their  courage 
and  manliness  is  something  that  will  remain  in  his  memory  forever." 

Lieutenants  Foust  and  Collins  told  the  crowd  what  they  thought  of  Com- 
pany "E" — and  it  was  aplenty!  They  expressed  regret  that  they  were  not 
permitted  to  remain  with  the  outfit  until  the  finish,  as  they  had  formed  attach, 
ments  for  the  men  which  they  were  very  sorry  to  see  broken.  Following  this 
Mr.  Badger  called  upon  a  number  of  men  of  Company  "E"  to  stand  up  and 
let  the  crowd  see  them.     It  was  near  midnight  when  the  party  was  over. 

The  Battalion  boys  that  lived  in  Harrisburg  were  too  few  for  a  parade,  so 
the  welcome-home  reception  took  the  form  of  a  dinner — and  a  good  one  at  that 
— on  May  the  ninth.  Songs  and  music  and  a  bit  of  personal  experiences 
punctuated  the  spare  moments  during  the  meal  and  then  the  diners  turned 
their  faces  and  chairs  in  the  direction  of  the  speakers'  table. 

The  genial  toastmaster  of  the  occasion  was  H.  C.  Kunkel  who,  after 
drinking  a  silent  toast  to  the  departed  members  of  the  Battalion,  called 
on  Mr.  Kinnard  who  told  how  proud  all  were  of  the  achievements  of  the  406th. 
Mr.  Lynch  told  of  the  appreciation  of  the  hazardous  tasks  faced  by  the  men 
of  the  Bell  unit.  Mr.  Kilpatrick  and  Mr.  Stryker  expressed  their  appreciation 
of  the  splendid  work  done  by  these  men.  Captain  Hasskarl  spoke  of  the 
honest-to-goodness  gladness  the  men  felt  in  being  in  the  U.  S.  A.  once  again. 

Many  of  the  Battalion  boys  were  called  upon  to  speak  during  the  evening 
and  most  of  them  related  interesting  tales  of  their  experience  while  over  there. 


278  THE   FIRST   BATTALION 

Major  Wattles  who  went  to  Harrisburg  at  the  invitation  of  the  Hanisburg 
crowd  gave  an  inspiring  talk.  For  many  months  Major  Wattles  was  in 
command  of  Company  "D" — to  which  the  Harrisburg  boys  belonged — and 
his  speech  had  a  very  personal  interest  to  the  crowd  assembled. 

These  parties  were  the  closing  chapter.  The  men  of  the  406th  have  re- 
turned to  their  telephone  plows.  They  have  had  an  experience  which  time 
cannot  take  from  them.  They  have  the  knowledge  that  their  little  organiza- 
tion of  telephone  men  gave  the  A.  E.  F.  two  lieutenant  colonels — Repp,  whose 
knowledge  of  telephone  engineering  made  itself  felt  over  the  entire  allied  front, 
and  Hubbell  who  did  such  a  thorough  job  in  organizing  and  training  the 
Battalion  that  he  was  sent  back  to  the  States  to  train  other  troops.  It  gave 
five  majors:  Glaspey,  who  died  in  the  service,  Wattles,  Griest,  Gauss  and 
Winston.  It  gave  three  captains:  Meigs,  Macfarlan  and  Hasskarl.  In  addi- 
tion it  gave  nearly  a  score  of  lieutenants,  many  of  whom  would  have  been  cap- 
tains had  the  war  lasted  a  couple  of  months  longer.  Of  the  noncoms  and 
enlisted  personnel,  what  need  be  said?  Their  accomplishments  are  set  down 
in  these  pages.  Their  service  began  when  the  war  started.  They  took  part 
in  every  phase  of  the  conflict.  The  reports  of  the  ofificers  of  the  American  forces 
in  Europe  are  sufficient  evidence  of  the  reputation  they  established. 

They  are  back  on  their  telephone  jobs.  They  are  the  richer  by  their 
experience  in  having  shared  in  the  fight  to  preserve  democracy. 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 

THE  following  employees  of  The  Bell  Telephone 
Company  of  Pennsylvania,  The  Delaware  and 
Atlantic  Telegraph  and  Telephone  Company  and 
The  Diamond  State  Telephone  Company  entered  the 
Military  or  Naval  Service  of  the  United  States  during 
the  World  War,  1917-1918. 


■{^  Indicates  Killed  in  Action  or  Died  in  the  Service 
as  shown  by  a  check  of  all  available  records 


Abraham  A.  Abrahams 
Charles  E.  Adams 
Harry  L.  Adams 
"5^ John  R.  Adams 
William  J.  Adams 
Charles  E.  Alber 
Ralph  G.  Albrecht 
John  J.  Albright 
Fred  McK.  Alexander 
Charles  S.  Allen 
Robert  R.  Allen 
William  H.  Allen,  Jr. 
Arthur  W.  Alsberge 
Charles  E.  Althouse 
Marvin  L.  Althouse 
French  Ammons 
Paul  G.  Amon 
Ralph  L.  Amos 
Edwin  McK.  Amy 
John  W.  Anderson 
Philip  M.  Anderson 
John  A.  Angel,  Jr. 
James  L.  Archibald 
Frederick  W.  Argall 
John  W.  Argo 
Francis  E.  Armstrong 
John  D.  Armstrong 
Charles  C.  Ashbaugh 
Albert  W.  Ashby 
Horace  G.  Atchinson 
William  L.  Atherholt 
Roland  G.  Aughinbaugh 


Joshua  L.  Bach 
Lyall  p.  Baer 
Leon  0.  Bailey 
William  H.  S.  Baily 
Joseph  F.  Bair 
Ralph  R.  Baldwin 
Lawrence  J.  Balkey 
Lloyd  McC.  Banks 
Robert  J.  Banse 
Thomas  Barney 
John  F.  Barr 
William  D.  Barrett 
Thomas  H.  Barron 
Thomas  J.  Barry,  Jr. 
Herman  Bartenbach 
Karl  E.  Barth 
Horace  W.  Bartholic 
"i^ William  B.  Bartleson 
George  S.  Bartlett 
Raphael  C.  Barto 
Raymond  A.  Baschenecker 
William  H.  Bateman 
Robert  E.  Bates 
William  J.  Battin 
John  A.  Bauer 
John  E.  Bauer 
William  T.  Bauer 
Frederick  J.  Baughman 
Ernest  E.  Bayer 
James  E.  Beam 
Carl  L.  Bean 
William  Beards 


281 


282 


APPENDIX 


William  Beattie 

William  F.  Brandt 

Aubrey  DeV.  Beauclerk 

Thomas  Branson,  Jr. 

George  A.  Beck 

Raymond  A.  Brauer 

William  F.  Beck 

Carl  W.  Bredemeyer 

William  H.  Beck 

James  F.  G.  Breen 

William  J.  Beck 

John  R.  Breen 

George  W.  Becker 

William  F.  Breitenbach 

John  L.  Becktel 

Chester  A.  Brenner 

Arthur  A.  Beisel 

Paul  Bretherick 

Albert  M.  Bell 

Joseph  Brezee 

■jJtEmmett  L.  Bell 

William  W.  Brittain 

Brooks  E.  Bennett 

Gerhard  J.  Brocke 

Levin  E.  Bennett 

Lawrence  C.  Brosky 

Walter  C.  Benz 

Charles  B.  Brown 

Charles  W.  Berger 

Neil  L.  Brown,  Jr. 

Francis  A.  Berner 

Wallace  W.  Brown 

Karl  Bernstein 

Edgar  R.  Bruder 

Theodore  Berrier 

Herbert  J.  Bruder 

Daniel  C.  Bertolette 

Jacob  S.  Brunhouse 

Michael  F.  Beysan 

Elmer  J.  Bucher 

E.  Cliffton  Bickel 

Robert  D.  Bucks 

Carl  W.  Bielstein 

Martin  H.  Buehler,  Jr. 

Max  a.  Bierfreund 

Maurice  S.  Bulger 

Clarence  A.  Bierman 

John  E.  Burke 

Samuel  J.  Bigham 

Thomas  Burke 

Leo  E.  Bilboa 

John  A.  Burns 

Milton  0.  Billerbeck 

Joseph  E.  Burns 

Clarence  H.  Binder 

William  R.  Burrows 

Paul  R.  Binder 

Paul  Burton 

Stanley  G.  Bird 

Howard  Bushnell 

Howard  Bishop 

Edward  N.  Butler 

Ralph  C.  Black 

Edward  F.  Buxton 

William  F.  Blackmar 

Bernard  Blank 

Bernard  W.  Caesar 

Ira  Blough 

George  W.  Cahoon 

William  J.  Bogner 

George  H.  Callahan 

Herman  A.  Bohn 

Patrick  J.  Callahan 

Howard  C.  Bolt 

Edric  W.  Camp 

Hugh  T.  Boran 

Thomas  Campbell 

John  0.  Border 

James  F.  Cannon,  Jr. 

Russell  W.  Born 

Joseph  A.  Cannon 

Walter  H.  Bornman 

Harry  0.  Carlson 

Earl  M.  Bossert 

Edwin  J.  Carr 

Barrett  W.  Boulware 

Charles  H.  Carroll 

George  P.  Bowes 

G.  Thomas  Cartier 

John  T.  Boyd 

Russell  D.  Carver 

Darius  Boyle 

Michael  J.  Cassidy 

Clark  S.  Bradford 

Leo  J.  Castle 

William  Bradford 

Raymond  S.  Caton 

Wilfred  Brady 

Edward  J.  Cavanaugh 

APPENDIX                                            283 

Russell  G.  Chambers 

Marion  K.  Cummings 

James  H.  Chandler 

Raymond  D.  Cupps 

Albert  B.  Charles 

John  B.  Curran 

Charles  C.  Charlson 

William  H.  D.  Cussack 

John  H.  Christensen 

Herbert  C.  Custard 

Edward  B.  Clark,  Jr. 

Albert  L.  Custer 

James  R.  Clark 

John  J.  Clark 

Earle  V.  Dague 

Roland  E.  Clark 

William  W.  Dailey 

Robert  H.  Close 

Anthony  J.  Dallett 

Morris  S.  Clouser 

Christopher  P.  Daly 

Albert  Coates 

Floyd  L.  Daniels 

-jirHoWARD  H.  COFFAN 

William  J.  B.  Daniels 

James  W.  Cogan 

Charles  W.  Danley 

Peter  P.  Cohen 

Allard  J.  Davids 

Walter  K.  Cohill 

Rowland  G.  Davis 

Austin  T.  Cole 

Wallis  Davis 

Myron  F.  Cole 

John  H.  Day 

Raymond  S.  Cole 

Arthur  DeHaven 

George  K.  Coleman 

Charles  A.  Deitrich 

Francis  E.  Colien 

Aniello  DeLuco 

Charles  H.  Collins 

Walter  R.  Demberger 

John  M.  Collins 

Harry  0.  Dengler 

Arthur  D.  C.  Colvin 

George  V.  DeRevere 

William  M.  Colvin 

Caspar  Desmone 

Albert  R.  Compton 

George  A.  Dessin 

William  B.  Conley 

Earl  A.  Detwiler 

Orville  G.  Conover 

Lyle  C.  DeVeaux 

Jennie  E.  Conroy 

William  C.  Devereaux 

Charles  E.  Conway 

Harry  F.  Devlin 

Erle  McK.  Conwell 

Peter  F.  Devlin 

Lloyd  E.  Cook 

Harvey  J.  Dible 

William  L.  Cook 

William  M.  Dickson 

Vincent  P.  Corcoran 

George  N.  Dietrich 

Michael  J.  Corless 

NORBERT  F.  DiETSCH 

Milton  W.  Corkron,  J 

R.                      Albert  J.  Dietz 

Leroy  a.  Cortwright 

Bartram  H.  Dilks 

Ralph  A.  Costley 

Franklin  E.  Dilks 

Harold  G.  Cousins 

Frank  J.  Dillon 

John  W.  Coverdale 

Charles  Dittrick 

Henry  B.  Cowan 

William  Dobbie 

Mortimer  W.  H.  Cox 

Robert  G.  Dodds 

Robert  Craigmile 

Henry  G.  Doerrmann 

Don  S.  Crispen 

Martin  P.  Doherty 

David  B.  Crissman 

John  H.  Dolan 

Gertrude  L.  Crofton 

George  A.  Domsohn 

Tessie  M.  Croghan 

Joseph  J.  Donahue 

Frank  S.  Crosland 

George  A.  Donbaugh 

Filbert  P.  Crossan 

Joseph  W.  Donnell,  Jr. 

Ira  R.  Cumberledge 

Arthur  L.  Donoghue 

284                                             APPENDIX 

Thomas  D.  Donovan 

Harold  J.  Evans 

John  H.  Dore 

Oliver  E.  Evans 

William  J.  Dougherty 

Richard  H.  Douglas 

-A- James  F.  Fagan 

Kenneth  McI.  Downes 

Edwin  C.  Eager 

Howard  G.  Downing 

Walter  D.  Farley 

John  F.  Doyle,  Jr. 

Joseph  D.  Farrington 

Joseph  F.  Doyle 

Charles  Farwell 

Richard  Doyle 

Irving  G.  Fasold 

Thomas  S.  Drake 

Harry  W.  Favinger 

Charles  D.  Draper 

Courtney  Fawcett 

Jacob  W.  Drase 

George  F.  Fennell 

Clifford  H.  Drew 

i^Clarence  p.  Ferguson 

Eugene  Driscoll,  Jr. 

John  Fernon 

Austin  M.  Dryden 

August  J.  Fest 

Leon  S.  Duckworth 

Albert  L.  Fetter 

Charles  D.  Dugan,  Jr. 

Raymond  H.  Fighter 

Martin  J.  Dugan,  Jr. 

Cyril  H.  Fiedler 

George  M.  Dulabon 

John  H.  Filbert 

Myron  F.  Dull 

Walter  F.  Finkenhoefer 

Milton  R.  Dunkle 

Howard  W.  Fischer 

Robert  L.  Dunlap 

Herbert  Fite 

James  H.  Dunn 

John  Fitzgerald 

•s^Leo  W.  Durkin 

William  K.  Flaherty 

William  G.  Flannigan 

William  F.  Fames 

Alby  S.  Fleming 

Charles  Ebenbach 

Frank  T.  Floyd 

William  C.  Eberle 

i^V Walter  J.  Flynn 

E.  McClelland  Echard 

Robert  L.  Fohl 

Edward  B.  Edwards 

George  M.  Foliart 

Victor  Egbert 

Harry  M.  Foos 

Kurt  R.  Egelhaaf 

Lester  T.  Forbes 

Verner  F.  Eichholz 

Frederick  B.  Ford 

Frank  Eisenberg 

John  J.  Ford 

Herman  H.  Eisenberg 

Joseph  F.  Forrester 

Joseph  Eldridge 

William  J.  Forsythe 

Kenneth  Eldridge 

James  M.  Forwood 

Ralph  S.  Eldridge 

Raymond  Foulkrod 

William  H.  Elliott 

Jacob  B.  Foulkrod 

Paul  J.  Ellis 

Luther  R.  Foust 

Raymond  W.  Ellis 

Herbert  Fox 

Thomas  F.  Ellis 

i!!rJoHN  H.  Fox 

William  W.  Ellis 

Floyd  M.  Frampton 

Frank  Else 

Charles  H.  Francis 

Albert  W.  Emerick 

Ralph  E.  Frank 

John  V.  Engstrom,  Jr. 

Paul  Frankenfield 

Thomas  Ennett,  Jr. 

Ralph  C.  Frantz 

George  K.  Erb 

Carl  R.  Freehafer 

Russell  F.  Erby 

Sylvester  D.  Freeman 

Roland  A.  Esslinger 

Hugh  B.  Frey 

APPENDIX 


i%S 


John  C.  Friel 

^Rexford  M.  Glaspey 

Thomas  M.  Friend 

John  S.  Gleason 

Harry  R.  Fritz 

Harold  F.  Goodwin 

Herman  C.  Fromuth,  Jr. 

Harry  W.  Gosser 

George  H.  Fry 

Charles  F.  Graber,  Jr. 

Ross  P.  Fry 

Armive  L.  Gracey 

John  F.  Fuller 

John  H.  Graham,  Jr. 

Chancey  B.  Fullerton 

Duncan  J.  Grant 

Marcellus  S.  Fulmer 

Alfred  L.  Gray 

Earl  E.  Gray 

Edward  W.  Gabriel 

John  Greeley 

Jesse  A.  Gaghagen 

Charles  J.  Green 

John  J.  Gaghan 

Charles  R.  Green 

Willard  J.  Gaines 

John  I.  Gregg 

Robert  C.  Galbraith 

Donald  Gregory 

Thomas  M.  Galbreath 

James  A.  Gregory 

Carlisle  Gale 

Walter  J.  Gretzler 

Cletus  M.  Gallagher 

Thomas  H.  Griest 

John  F.  Gallagher 

Harold  J.  Griffiths 

Tony  Gallo 

Howard  N.  Grimes 

Walter  J.  Gander 

William  T.  Grimm 

John  F.  Gardiner 

Joseph  J.  Grindel 

John  LaR.  Garrett 

William  B.  Groll 

Ethel  F.  Garson 

Stewart  A.  Grove 

Charles  N.  Gaskill 

Louis  A.  Gruneberg 

Earl  I.  Gaskill 

John  Grunxnger,  Jr. 

Albert  C.  Gaster 

Leonard  C.  Grupe 

Clyde  L.  Gatchel 

Howard  W.  Guild 

William  L.  Gauntt 

Walter  A.  Gulbrandsen 

Joseph  C.  Gaus 

Arthur  R.  Gundelfinger 

James  H.  Gause 

William  F.  Gauss 

David  McC.  Hackett,  Jr. 

John  J.  Gavin 

Frederick  P.  Haehnlen 

Albert  V.  Gee 

Conrad  V.  Hahn 

Willard  F.  Geib 

Harry  C.  Hahn 

William  G.  Geiger 

William  M.  Hain 

Wilbur  A.  Geiselman 

Edgar  C.  Haines 

^Wilson  D.  George 

Walter  B.  Haislop 

John  F.  Gerboth 

Charles  E.  W.  Hale 

William  R.  Gerhard 

Harold  L.  Hale 

Harry  Gianelle 

John  H.  Hall 

Joseph  E.  Gibbons 

Leif  H.  Hallgren 

Theodore  W.  Gibson 

Henry  P.  Hallowell 

Enoch  T.  Gifford 

Irvin  Halterman 

Henry  D.  Gilbert 

Jeffrey  A.  Halterman 

Howard  E.  Giles 

Walter  J.  Hamburger 

Eugene  M.  Gillespie 

Charles  E.  Hamill 

Thomas  P.  Gilligan 

Arthur  J.  Hamilton 

Edmund  W.  Gilpin 

Edward  Hamilton 

Ralph  D.  Glancy 


■sir James  Hamilton 


286                                           APPENDIX 

Jerome  M.  Hamilton 

Herbert  M.  Higgins 

Raymond  Hamilton 

Selmar  A.  Higgins 

Edward  T.  Hannan 

Wallace  D.  Hikes 

Samuel  N.  Harbolt 

Frank  M.  Hill 

John  W.  Harding 

Thomas  J.  Hill 

George  H.  Harker 

Mabel  Hilsee 

Thomas  F.  Harkins 

Joseph  D.  Hines 

i^VRalph  E.  Harlacher 

Stacy  C.  Hinkle 

John  N.  Harlan 

Charles  A.  Hiss 

Ruthford  a.  Harland 

Howard  F.  Hoagland 

Louis  A.  Harnischfeger 

George  A.  Hoch 

Clifford  W.  Harris 

Walter  J.  Hodrus 

Hubert  Harris 

Andrew  J.  Hoff 

Clarence  W.  Hartman 

Herman  M.  Hoffman 

Harold  E.  Hartman 

William  H.  Hoffman 

Carl  A.  Hartmann 

WiLMER  J.  Hoffman 

Howard  D.  Hartzell 

Harry  Hohnadle 

Francis  A.  Harvey 

Hampton  W.  Hoke 

Victor  L.  C.  Hasskarl 

John  M.  Holdcroft 

Robert  V.  Hatch 

Alfred  J.  Holden 

Rowland  A.  Hauser 

Charles  C.  Holland 

Theodore  Z.  Haviland 

Harold  W.  Hollis 

Harold  S.  Hayden 

Roy  C.  Hollister 

Frank  R.  Heath 

Harry  A.  Holloway 

William  F.  Heckert,  Jr. 

■A-JOHN  J.  HOLLOWELL 

Edward  T.  Hee 

Stanley  T.  Holmes 

Harry  T.  Heenon 

S.  Edwin  Hood 

Herbert  C.  Heideck 

Richard  T.  Hoover 

Jennie  T.  Heilig 

Thomas  E.  Hoover 

Joseph  E.  Heim 

George  F.  Hopkins 

George  F.  Heinecke 

Louis  G.  Hosfield 

William  C.  Heisler 

Charles  A.  Hough 

Benjamin  W.  Heist 

Chester  C.  Hough 

John  D.  Helmlinger 

James  R.  Howe 

William  E.  Helms 

George  B.  Howell 

George  F.  Helt 

William  M.  Hoyer 

Thomas  W.  Hemperly 

James  W.  Hubbell 

Clifford  Hemphill 

Richard  T.  Hugus,  Jr. 

Jacob  E.  Henderson 

Z.  Zimmerman  Hugus 

Samuel  R.  Henderson 

Hamilton  A.  Hume 

Frederick  Henger 

George  A.  Hunt,  Jr. 

Howard  F.  Henk 

Perry  A.  Hunter 

Frederick  Henning 

Warren  C.  Hurst 

Paul  A.  J.  Henry 

Frank  E.  Huss 

John  W.  Herbert 

Theodore  H.  Husted 

Milton  B.  Herr 

Clarence  M.  Hutchinson 

Arno  E.  Herzer 

Harry  K.  Hutchinson 

Horace  L.  Hess 

Carl  S.  Hevener 

Harry  D.  Inman 

Harry  T.  Heverin 

George  E.  Irvin 

APPENDIX 

287 

Harry  A.  Irwin 

John  C.  Kiehl 

Lee  S.  Izer 

John  C.  Killmer 
Charles  W.  King 

Robert  A.  Jack 

Delancey  J.  King 

Edward  S.  Jackson 

Harold  M.  King 

George  W.  Jacobs 

Laurence  D.  King 

Walter  James 

Lawrence  J.  King 

Charles  W.  Jamison 

Vinton  P.  King 

George  Jamison 

Oliver  Kinnie 

Edward  A.  Jardel 

Henry  B.  Kipp 

Harry  Jensen 

John  J.  Kipphorn 

Herbert  Jerman 

Elmer  S.  Kirby 

Albert  E.  Johnson 

Frederic  R.  Kirkland 

Charles  E.  Johnson 

Paul  A.  Kirkpatrick 

Edward  V.  Johnson 

Harry  F.  Kirst 

Elsie  E.  Johnson 

James  D.  Kistler,  Jr. 

Howard  B.  Johnson 

August  J.  Klein 

Hugh  W.  Johnson 

Carroll  W.  Kleine 

John  A.  Johnson 

Robert  M.  Klepfer 

Thomas  W.  Johnson 

John  F.  Klingensmith 

Walter  D.  Johnston 

William  L.  Klocke 

Frank  A.  Jones 

Henry  R.  Knight 

Herbert  W.  Jones 

Paul  R.  Knight 

James  P.  Jones 

George  G.  Koch 

Orson  D.  Jones 

George  J.  Kohler,  Jr. 

Robert  K.  Jones 

Webster  S.  Kohlhaas 

T&-SAMUEL  J.  Jones 

Louis  R.  Kohlheyer 

Vincent  P.  Jones 

Donald  S.  Konkle 

William  H.  Jones 

Christian  P.  Kopp 

John  G.  Josefson 

Benjamin  W.  Koppe 

Charles  H.  Julin 

Paul  E.  Kornmann 
John  McC.  Koser 

Charles  A.  Kaelin 

John  A.  Kraus 

John  B.  Kane 

Paul  T.  Kraus 

Joseph  Kannaka 

Irving  S.  Kreider 

Charles  R.  Kay 

-iJirCHARLES  B.  Krein 

James  P.  Keating 

William  J.  Kreis 

James  W.  Keenan 

William  J.  Krohn 

George  W.  Kellogg 

Alfred  M.  Krouse 

George  F.  Kemp 

Charles  R.  Kulp 

Thomas  J.  Kennedy 

Harry  J.  Kulp 

Arthur  R.  Kennedy 

Frank  L.  Kurtz 

Alexander  M.  Kenney 

James  F.  Kenney 

Robert  R.  Lafferty 

Frederick  P.  Kent 

.    Edwin  R.  Lamon 

Frederick  C.  Kenworthy 

Henry  C.  Lander 

Leo  P.  Keough 

William  J.  Landgraff 

Paul  Kerin 

Oliver  G.  S.  Langer 

Joseph  L.  E.  Kerns 

Paul  D.  LaRoche 

William  J.  Kerr 

Ralph  B.  Lauer 

288 


APPENDIX 


William  P.  Lavelle 

Edmund  Y.  Ludwig 

William  La  wall 

t^tAlan  W.  Lukens 

John  A.  Lawler 

Samuel  C.  Lukens,  Jr. 

Edward  S.  Lawrence 

-jVMichael  S.  Lukish 

William  L.  Lawson 

John  F.  Lupton 

William  C.  Legates 

Frederick  F.  Lutz 

Johanna  C.  Leahy 

William  M.  Lycett,  Jr. 

Charles  C.  Leasure 

George  B.  Lynn 

David  W.  Lee 

John  E.  Lyons,  Jr. 

William  R.  Lenox 

•i^ William  J.  Lyshon 

John  A.  Lenz 

Hugo  B.  H.  Lersch 

John  D.  McAnallen 

William  J.  Lester,  Jr. 

Harry  F.  McAnaney 

Bernard  J.  Leu 

Joseph  A.  McAndrew 

^Marshall  B.  Lever 

James  A.  McCabe,  Jr. 

Morris  Levin 

James  K.  McCannon 

Edward  A.  Levins 

Alfred  E.  McCann 

Archie  L.  Lewis 

Chauncey  McCann 

David  F.  Lewis 

Francis  F.  McCann 

Vivian  Lewis 

T^RONALD  H.  McCaUGHEY 

Louis  F.  J.  Lhoest 

David  McClay 

Arthur  W.  Lincoln 

John  A.  McCloskey 

Hiram  V.  Lindley 

Joseph  F.  McConnell 

Robert  Lindsay,  Jr. 

Joseph  F.  McCormick 

Mack  H.  Lingenfelter 

William  H.  McCormick,  Jr. 

Fred  T.  Lipp 

Alexander  J.  McCullough 

Harry  G.  Lippincott,  Jr. 

i:!rjAMES  McCutcheon 

Curt  A.  Littman 

John  P.  McDonald 

Thomas  A.  Livesey 

Raymond  J.  McDonald 

Nathan  A.  Livingston 

William  A.  McDonald 

Francis  V.  Lloyd 

Francis  C.  McFarlin 

Ford  Lobaugh 

Thomas  E.  McGann 

Alvin  E.  Loeffler 

John  A.  McGinty 

Earl  A.  Logsdon 

Eugene  V.  McIlhenny 

Albert  G.  Long 

Harry  E.  McIntosh 

William  E.  Long 

Almon  D.  McKay 

Valentine  D.  Longo 

Llewelyn  T.  McKee,  Jr. 

Morris  M.  Loomis 

John  L.  McKinney 

Charles  F.  Loper 

Ollie  H.  McKinney 

Joseph  T.  Lord 

William  E.  McKinney 

■iiV Joseph  W.  Lorsong 

James  A.  McLaughlin 

Charles  H.  Lott 

Thomas  McLaughlin 

Charles  J.  Lovett 

Bernard  M.  McNally 

Dory  Loving 

William  E.  McNamara 

Charles  C.  Lowe 

Clifford  H.  McNary 

Harry  A.  Lowstetter 

Albert  F.  Maahs 

Ivan  D.  Loy 

Walter  S.  MacCorkle 

Timothy  J.  Loyd 

Alistair  P.  MacFarlane 

Paul  DeW.  Lucas 

Frank  J.  Machlan 

Howard  M.  Ludwick 

Harold  D.  Macklin 

APPENDIX 

289 

James  E.  MacMillin 

Fred  J.  Maurada 

George  MacMurtrie 

George  Max,  Jr. 

■A-Edward  a.  MacNally 

Earle  LaR.  M'axson 

David  W.  MacRonald 

John  K.  Maxwell 

Casper  J.  Mader 

William  M.  Mayer 

Henry  W.  Mader 

Russell  R.  Mayo 

Harry  D.  Madison 

Horatio  B.  H.  Mecleary 

John  G.  Magee 

Fielding  P.  Meigs 

Robert  W.  Magill 

George  A.  Melick 

Elmer  V.  Magrath 

Cove  C.  Melson,  Jr. 

Paul  M.  Maguigan 

Garth  E.  Mercer 

John  H.  Mahan 

Ralph  C.  Mercer 

William  A.  Mahan 

Alfred  A.  Merkhoffer 

■i!!rEDWARD  F.  Maher 

William  W.  Merrill 

Joseph  S.  Maher 

Claude  M.  Metelski 

William  G.  Mahon 

Earl  E.  Metz 

Frederick  C.  Maine 

Usher  Meyer 

Elwood  R.  Major 

Harry  L.  Meyers 

Jesse  D.  Major 

Jacob  Meyers 

George  C.  Makin,  Jr. 

Charles  A.  Mick 

Earl  Maley 

John  Mierle 

John  E.  Maley 

Calvin  E.  Miller 

Raymond  P.  Malley 

George  M.  Miller,  Jr. 

Edward  Malloy,  Jr. 

Granville  G.  Miller 

Frederick  Maloney 

Harry  N.  Miller 

Ethel  M.  Maltby 

Howard  A.  Miller 

Timothy  J.  Manix 

James  H.  Miller 

Charles  I.  Manley 

John  Miller 

Palmeri  Manlio 

John  Wade  Miller 

Harry  A.  Mankin 

John  William  Miller 

William  McK.  Mann 

Leon  B.  Miller 

Thomas  W.  Mannix 

Mark  W.  Miller 

Charles  C.  Mansfield 

Myrl  K.  Miller 

Walter  0.  Mansfield 

Reeder  Miller 

Frank  C.  March 

George  H.  Millholland 

Bernard  A.  Margulis 

Harold  H.  Millin 

Francis  E.  Markey 

Millard  F.  Mills 

Edward  J.  Marotte 

Carroll  Missimer 

Harold  G.  Marr 

Horace  H.  Mitchell 

Raymond  B.  Marriner 

Peter  A.  Mitchell 

John  L.  Marsh 

Edward  J.  Moerk 

Alexander  S.  Marshall 

Edward  P.  Mohr 

Kenneth  C.  Marshall 

Frederick  W.  Molly 

Claire  V.  Martin 

Harman  M.  Molony 

Harry  J.  Martin 

DoMONicK  Monaco 

Lewis  L.  J.  Martin 

Andrew  P.  Monroe 

Norman  G.  Marvel 

Helen  F.  Mooney 

William  J.  Marwood 

James  J.  Mooney 

Charles  R.  Mather 

Frank  R.  Moore 

liirARTHUR  Mattner 

Paul  R.  Moran 

290                                           APPENDIX 

Myles  M.  Morcom 

Graham  L.  Ogle 

John  P.  Morgan 

Milton  E.  Olson 

James  F.  Morris 

Joseph  J.  Olwell 

James  T.  Morrissey 

WiswELL  O'Neil 

James  J.  Moser 

John  A.  O'Reilly 

Emmett  E.  Moss 

Lee  J.  Orr 

Raymond  H.  Mounts 

James  C.  Othus 

Joseph  N.  Moyer 

James  S.  Oxenham 

Raymond  U.  Mueller 

Joseph  L.  Mullen 

Reginald  D.  B.  Pappe 

Elmer  F.  Muller 

McRea  Parker 

Edward  H.  Mumford 

Robert  MacD.  Parker 

George  L.  Mumford 

Ruth  M.  Parker 

Harold  Mumma 

James  B.  Paterson 

Samuel  L.  Mumma 

George  J.  K.  Patton 

Albert  A.  Munch 

Harry  L.  Patton 

Herbert  C.  Munyan 

Harry  E.  Paulsen 

Burton  D.  Murdaugh 

John  C.  Pawlowski 

Richard  H.  Murfit 

Austin  Pearce,  Jr. 

James  F.  Murphy 

James  W.  Pearson 

James  T.  Murphy 

Joseph  D.  Pedlow 

Joseph  J.  Murphy 

John  W.  Peel 

Michael  F.  Murphy 

Walter  L.  Pemberton 

Raphael  C.  Murphy 

■i!i-NELS0N  W.  Ferine 

Sylvanua  W.  Murphy 

George  R.  Perrin 

George  H.  Mussina 

Howard  W.  Perry 

Russell  R.  Mutzebaugh 

Allan  M.  Peterson 

Herbert  K.  Myers 

Russell  H.  Pfeil 

Warren  J.  Myers 

John  J.  Phelan 

Leon  H.  Phelan 

Adrian  R.  Naugle 

John  E.  Phelps 

Edmund  J.  Nauss 

Mark  S.  Phillips 

Robert  D.  Neal 

Reese  J.  Phillips 

Harry  F.  Newcomb 

Charles  F.  Pierce 

Irvin  C.  Newcomb 

Vernon  B.  Pike 

Patrick  F.  Newell 

John  V.  Pinkerton 

Sylvanius  R.  Newhart 

George  A.  Pittman 

Philip  W.  Nichol 

Charles  McG.  Pollock 

Robert  F.  Nichol 

Joseph  Pollon 

Charles  C.  Nickola 

Chester  D.  Pope 

Howard  J.  Nicodemus 

Theodore  Potts 

Paul  Nicoladse 

Jerome  W.  Poulliott 

■iirRAYMOND  Nicolas 

Charles  E.  Poust 

Willoughby  F.  Nicolls 

Albert  C.  Powell 

Harry  N.  Niehoff 

William  J.  Powers 

William  Noble 

Russell  A.  Preble 

Edward  J.  Noonan 

Donald  Price 

John  E.  Noone 

Richard  L  Price 

Charles  R.  Norris 

Shirley  C.  Price 

■ii^CLAUD  N.  Northrop 

William  H.  Price 

APPENDIX 

291 

Homer  W.  Princler 

Moncure  D.  Robinson 

HiLRY  S.  PURBAUGH 

Roy  T.  Robling 

Edward  N.  Purple 

Joseph  C.  Rodgers 
Kathryn  C.  Rodgers 

Paul  J.  Quimby 

Edward  C.  Rohr 

William  E.  Quinby 

Charles  F.  Rohrbach 

William  J.  Quinn 

Harry  Rohrer 
Philip  H.  Rolling 

Gilbert  B.  Radcliffe 

Warren  W.  Rommel 

Charles  W.  Radetzky,  Jr. 

John  H.  Rose 

Flora  L.  Rall 

Peter  Ross 

Helen  Rauch 

Stanley  B.  Ross 

Dorothy  E.  Rosner 

Thomas  F.  Ross,  Jr. 

Ralph  C.  Rauenwinder 

Samuel  G.  Rossiter 

Frank  C.  Reading 

William  T.  Rousseau 

■A- Joseph  A.  Read 

John  Rowlett 

Louis  F.  Realey 

Maurice  E.  Rulong 

Edgar  G.  Reed 

Clyde  L.  Russell 

James  Reekie 

Charles  W.  Russell 

Edward  M.  Reese 

Jesse  0.  Rutherford 

Francis  H.  Reese 

Edward  W.  Ryan 

John  C.  Reese 

Walter  W.  Ryno 

George  D.  Reid 

Mason  D.  Reiff 

Max  Sandberg 

John  A.  Reilly 

Joseph  Santaro 

Richard  M.  Reinoehl 

Westley  C.  Satterfield 

Francis  M.  Remer 

■jJrSPENCER  H.  Sauer 

Edward  P.  Renouf 

George  J.  Sauerhoff 

William  F.  Repp 

John  Saunders 

George  P.  Rese 

Frank  Scalese 

Charles  H.  Reuter 

Michael  J.  Scanlon 

Harry  M.  Reuter,  Jr. 

Irvin  T.  Scargle 

NowLAND  E.  Reynolds 

Charles  J.  Schaefer,  Jr. 

John  L.  Rhea 

Harold  J.  Schaetzle 

Walter  A.  Rhoades 

Frederick  W.  Schafer 

Howard  D.  Rhodes 

Gustavus  R.  Schaffer 

Salvatore  D.  Ricciardi 

Howard  W.  Scharp 

Ernest  Richards 

George  B.  Schatz 

George  B.  Richards 

Howard  B.  Schauer 

Floyd  J.  Richardson 

Frank  M.  Scheifley 

William  M.  Richardson 

William  M.  Schleich 

Maurice  R.  Rickman 

Edward  J.  Schmid 

Francis  C.  Riley 

Fred.  J.  Schmitt 

Herbert  T.  Riley 

Byron  K.  Schneider 

William  Risko 

Joseph  A.  Schnitgen 

Harry  Ritch 

Bessie  G.  Schofield 

Charles  L.  Ritchie 

Charles  J.  Schofstal,  Jr. 

Erastus  H.  Roberts 

Herbert  R.  Schooley 

Walter  H.  Roberts 

William  H.  Schultz 

Archibald  E.  Robertson 

James  S.  Schwarm 

292                                           APPENDIX 

William  J.  Schwarm 

Charles  J.  Smith 

Herbert  H.  Schwartz 

Charles  W.  C.  Smith 

Gregory  J.  Schwendeman 

i^Clayton  T.  Smith 

iJtCharles  H.  Scott,  Jr. 

Deily  Smith 

James  P.  Scott 

Edgar  L.  Smith 

William  J.  Scott 

Hubert  B.  Smith 

WiNFiELD  Scott,  Jr. 

Hugh  J.  Smith 

John  N. Scull 

John  L.  Smith 

Ralph  H.  Scutt 

John  M.  Smith 

Glen  C.  Sebring 

Joseph  A.  Smith 

Claude  W.  Seddon 

Joseph  D.  Smith 

Raymond  E.  Seeger 

Leo  E.  Smith 

Hurvey  B.  Seibel 

Robert  W.  Smith 

Edwin  W.  Seibert 

Roy  a.  Smith 

William  J.  Seibold 

Theodore  F.  Smith 

Carl  N.  Sellors 

Walter  M.  Smith 

William  J.  Semple 

William  Smith 

Roy  Seybert 

William  A.  Smith 

Jesse  Seybert 

William  J.  Smith 

Charles  Seymour 

Jacob  E.  Smithoover 

Leo.  F.  Shaffer 

George  A.  Snedeker 

Oliver  J.  R.  Shanahan 

Perry  L.  Snow 

Elmer  J.  Shaneman 

Frank  E.  Snyder 

Samuel  Shapiro 

Robert  J.  Snyder,  Jr. 

Everett  C.  Sharpe 

William  F.  Snyder 

Howard  E.  Shaw 

Ralph  J.  Somers 

Leo  J.  Sheehan 

James  F.  Spahr 

Henry  C.  Sheeler,  Jr. 

Harry  L.  Spangler 

Harold  A.  Shelly 

Albert  F.  Spears 

Robert  F.  Shenk 

George  R.  Specht 

James  J.  Sheridan 

Edmund  J.  Speitel 

Charles  L.  Sherman 

Merritt  R.  Sperry 

William  H.  Sherman 

Van  C.  Spence 

Alvan  C.  Sherrill 

Frank  S.  Spring 

John  Shimfessel 

Joseph  A.  Stadt 

Samuel  D.  Shipley 

Harry  St  a  ley 

Harper  M.  Shoap 

Edwin  B.  Stason 

Maurice  T.  Shore,  Jr. 

Jacob  A.  Staublein 

William  H.  Short 

Clarence  A.  Staudinger 

Clellan  C.  Shull 

Joseph  J.  Steedle 

Rose  A.  E.  Simendinger 

George  T.  Steeley 

William  C.  Simmers,  Jr. 

William  Steen 

Edgar  J.  Simons 

Paul  Steinburg 

Henry  L.  Simons 

Otto  P.  Stemler 

Robert  L.  Simpson 

Allan  G.  Stern 

Michael  J.  Simsack 

Leon  M.  Sterner 

Walter  M.  Skillman 

Raymond  R.  Sterner 

Frank  E.  Slack,  Jr. 

Clarkson  G.  Stevens 

Andrew  M.  Slitzer 

Frederick  H.  Stevens 

Frank  H.  Smedley 

George  L.  Stevens 

APPENDIX 

293 

Hugh  T.  Stewart 

Roy  D.  Thompson 

Clarence  F.  Stifel 

Benjamin  S.  Thorp,  Jr. 

Harry  C.  Stille 

Raymond  H.  Thorpe 

Everett  St.  John 

William  C.  Thurston 

Raymond  Stocker 

Thomas  Tierney 

John  N. Stockley 

Percy  E.  Tillson 

John  W.  Stone 

William  R.  Timby 

Paul  M.  Stookey 

Edward  F.  Timlin 

Calvin  P.  Stouch 

Edwin  A.  Tomlinson 

Robert  C.  Stoughton 

Thomas  Tomlinson 

Henry  A.  Stout 

William  H.  Tomlinson 

Renus  G.  Strand 

Alfred  E.  Townsend 

Lester  G.  Straub 

John  G.  Treichler 

William  C.  Straub 

Ray  C.  Tritle 

Albert  LeR.  Streck 

Morris  E.  Troost 

Earl  E.  Strope 

Edward  H.  Trudell 

William  G.  Stull 

George  W.  Truman 

Earle  G.  Stump 

George  W.  Trump 

William  A.  Stumpf 

Fulton  G.  Turner 

Guy  F.  Stutler 

Paul  D.  Turner 

Leroy  N.  Suddath 

Robert  S.  Twiggs 

Daniel  G.  Sullivan 

Alvi  T.  Twing 

Lester  E.  Summy 

John  E.  Twohig 

Olin  M.  Sunfield 

■si^CHARLES  K.  SuPLEE 

Russell  E.  Umbel 

William  L.  Suter 

William  A.  Underwood 

Earl  W.  Sutvan 

James  E.  Updegraff 

Charles  W.  Swan 

Robert  I.  Urffer 

Frank  Swartley 

Clarence  B.  Swayne 

Clarence  B.  Vance 

Charles  N.  Sweeney 

Claud  J.  Vanderslice 

Norman  Sweetser 

Brainerd  S.  Van  Meter 

George  G.  Swilkey 

Morales  C.  Vendig 

Walter  L.  Swope 

Harry  J.  Vogt 

Walter  B.  Sylvester 

Frederick  Von  Goerres 

Henry  M.  Taggart 

Charles  C.  Wagner 

Joseph  S.  Tatnall 

Fred  Wagner 

Henry  W.  Taylor 

Frederick  R.  Wagner 

iIVWaid  J.  Taylor 

Horace  Wagner 

William  C.  Terhune 

Paul  H.  Wagner 

William  J.  Terneson 

Francis  E.  Wakefield 

Leo  F.  Tete 

Clarence  J.  Waldo     - 

Gaston  J.  Theriot 

Harry  Walker 

Nelson  Thomas 

John  Walker 

Peter  Thomas,  Jr. 

John  L  Walker 

William  H.  Thomas 

Leopold  C.  Walkup 

Bernard  E.  Thompson 

Oscar  B.  Wallace 

Leslie  E.  Thompson 

William  R.  Wallace 

Lyell  E.  Thompson 

Edward  B.  Walsh 

294 


APPENDIX 


James  V.  Walsh 

Charles  C.  Wilson 

i!!rTHOMAs  C.  Walsh 

Coffin  C.  Wilson,  Jr. 

Anthony  J.  Walters 

Edwin  R.  Wilson 

John  C.  Walthour 

Edward  R.  Wilson 

Donald  E.  Walton 

George  W.  Wilson,  Jr. 

Ray  B.  Wandel 

Guy  McK.  Wilson 

Everett  W.  Wanner 

Thomas  M.  Wilson 

Norman  H.  Wanner 

WiLLARD  S.  Wilson 

William  Ward 

Thomas  H.  Winston 

George  E.  Warfel 

William  C.  Winter 

Thomas  J.  Waring 

Charles  W.  Wise 

Clarence  S.  Warner 

Rudolph  0.  Woidill 

Allen  D.  Wassall 

Donald  C.  Wolfe 

Edward  A.  Waters,  Jr. 

Reginald  D.  Wollmuth 

Edward  Watson 

George  D.  Woodward 

Walter  A.  Watson 

Thomas  Worrall 

William  P.  Wattles 

Charles  S.  Worrell 

Harry  G.  Weart 

Frank  Wright 

Ralph  V.  Weaver 

George  R.  Wright 

Clifford  T.  Weihman 

Robert  Wright 

David  W.  Weir 

Robert  J.  Wright 

Albert  H.  Wells 

Elizabeth  R.  Wunderle 

Joseph  A.  Welsh 

Luther  C.  Wurster 

Lester  H.  Wertheimer 

Raymond  T.  Wyckoff 

Frank  B.  Westfall 

Peter  C.  Wynkoop 

George  A.  Weston 

Charles  N.  Weyl 

John  H.  Yearick 

Samuel  T.  White 

Norman  H.  Yeatts 

Semon  H.  Whitlock 

Clarence  E.  Yeckel 

Charles  W.  Whittington 

Joseph  W.  Yinger 

George  F.  Wieland 

Paul  R.  Yocom 

Henry  L.  Wigham 

George  E.  Yocum 

William  T.  Wilfong 

William  H.  Yost 

Raymond  W.  Wilkinson 

Harry  C.  Young 

William  J.  Willenbecker 

Philip  J.  Young,  Jr. 

Edgar  G.  Willey 

Thomas  J.  Young 

Arthur  McF.  Williams 

David  A.  Williams 

Alan  S.  Zane 

Ernest  S.  Williams 

Wesley  W.  Zeh 

Frederick  W.  Williams 

Clifford  H.  Zellers 

James  S.  Williams 

Melvin  R.  Zerbe 

Lincoln  H.  Williams,  Jr. 

Russell  Zimmerman 

Melvin  0.  Williams 

Clarence  F.  Zug 

Miller  Williams 

John  H.  Zundell 

TH_3  BOOK  IS  DTJE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED   FOR    FAILURE  TO   RETURN 
THIS   BOOK  ON   THE  DATE  DUE.   THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY    AND    TO    $1.00    ON    THE    SEVENTH     DAY 
OVERDUE. 

.'AH   91    1944 

LD  21-10m-5,'43(6061s) 

iVil3962l 

D510 

1352: 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  UBRARY 


